The Wings of Goodbye
by The Mermaid Queen
Summary: "What you must learn is that when you wish to save someone dear to your heart you must at the same time feel the fear and sadness of losing them." In another realm, the journey to save the world suffers a drastic change before it even begins. Because sometimes, memories are scattered and that is that. But other times? The result is something even more unwelcome.
1. First Flight

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: I have no idea whether or not I'll be able to faithfully write for this all the way until the end. I have a rough idea for the plot in mind, but I'm busy with classes and the like and may have difficulties updating regularly. You have been warned!

Also, on the subject of the plot, it _will_ diverge from the canon plot at times. However, it will also _follow_ the canon plot at other times (because the more things change, the more things stay the same… or something like that). You'll see. Eventually. Maybe._**  
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And one last thing: I might not update much here, but this story will be connected to a tumblr blog dedicated to _Fire Emblem_ stuff, doubling as an ask/RP blog for the MU featured here. You can check it out at **high-deliverer-eve**

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><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter One  
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* * *

><p>Judith was never very much of a dreamer. Then again, when you were born to be a pawn of the Grimleal, it was hard to be.<p>

Even if they were meant to serve you to the best of their abilities.

"Milady," spoke one such minion, as she liked to call them, from the doorway to her chambers. And she truly meant "chambers". Extravagant as her rooms were, they were still cages that kept her bound to this wretched place. "Lord Validar wishes for you to join him in greeting His Majesty."

She snorted, nestling further into the pillows cushioning her back on the wide window seat, staring pointedly outside. "I have no wish to go," she said truthfully before lying plainly, "I am not feeling all that well at the moment."

"Milady," the woman spoke again, somewhat timidly and likely fearing her wrath—or perhaps the wrath of her husband. "He insists."

Annoyance curled in Judith's chest. Of course he would _insist_. He always _insisted_ when it came to her meeting with Plegian royalty or other rank of importance. Not that it was ever truly for her, thank the gods. No, it was for the parasite growing inside of her, to expose them even inside the womb to the people they would one day have at their beck and call. "And I insist I stay here. This _child_—" she forced herself to emphasize the word rather than spit it out as she very much wanted to, "—is feeling restless right now and it is making me quite… ill."

She did not know if such a thing were possible as it had never happened before (the being occupying her womb was actually quite placid, if such a thing made sense), but she did not let it stop her from saying it. Thankfully, the little Grimleal minion did not think to question it, stopping her heckling with only a frantic glance to Judith's stomach before retreating. Judith only watched as she bowed her way out of the room, and fought the urge to roll her eyes with every apology uttered.

It was only when the doors shut behind the woman that Judith relaxed, sighing against her pillows. "For all that you are a burden and unwanted," she said aloud to her stomach, "you are quite useful at times. They do not dare push me for fear of disturbing you." Even Validar, her husband to her extreme misfortune, did not chance anything around Judith or Grima's unborn vessel.

Yes. The fell dragon's precious vessel…

In a way, Judith was little more than a vessel herself. Born to the Grimleal to serve it, it was decided early on that she was of pure enough blood to breed in hopes of creating the perfect being that would one day bring Grima to the mortal realm once more. With her and Validar's union, and their subsequent procreation, they received the news that the Grimleal as a whole had been waiting for. The news that their child was chosen by Grima, and would herald the beginning of the fell dragon's return to greatness.

Truly, she pitied the demon inside of her just as much as she hated it.

And she would not live to watch this thing she had grown inside of her become exactly what the Grimleal wished. As soon as it was out of her body, if she survived the birthing process (as she greatly feared it would kill her, bringing a monstrosity chosen by Grima himself into the world), she would leave. If Validar and his minions had their precious vessel for Grima, she would no longer be necessary to keep around, after all. She doubted even they could do something as stupid as lose a child. They would likely protect Grima's vessel with their lives if need be.

(Somewhere, deep in the back of her mind, she whispered apologies to her unborn child. She apologized for many things, from what she planned to do before the child was even aware of the world, to being unable to love them as a child should be loved by its own mother.)

* * *

><p>The vessel was born several months later. It was a female, with tanned skin significantly lighter than Validar's but no less Plegian, and hair as silvery a blue as Judith's own. When her eyes opened and settled, Judith was mesmerized by the deep green color that mirrored hers. A warmth bloomed unbidden in her chest…<p>

…And died when the midwife exclaimed in excitement over the child's right hand, showing both parents what Judith had failed to see whilst transfixed over her other features.

The Mark of Grima.

Bitterly reminded of the fell dragon and cursing herself for her near folly, Judith refused to hold the child again. Instead, she ordered what servants were there to settle her in the space they'd set up nearby, making sure they kept the child's right side to her so that the Mark could be seen at all times. She would not be caught unaware again, and the minions happily obliged, unaware of her true reasons.

When another turned to her to ask what she wished to name the child vessel, Judith refused to reply.

"My husband can take care of that," she said as primly as she could while exhausted from giving birth. In her mind, she was already going over the plans she had made months before on how to escape.

"Lord Validar said that you were to be the one to name the child," replied the woman, patient yet firm. She would not leave until Judith gave the vessel a name.

Displeased, Judith eyed the tiny bundle. Her mouth set into a grim line when guilt began to prick at her chest. She was already going to leave the child soon to its fate—what was a little name in the grand scheme of things?

Eyes lowered, the unwilling Grimleal matriarch mulled the thought over in her head. A fitting name for a child with a hopeless future. "…Reverie. Her name will be 'Reverie'."

The other woman blinked in surprise. "That is a bit of an unusual name, is it not?" she asked, before remembering herself, her place, and the status of the woman sitting before her. She paled and began backtracking with admirable speed, "N-Not that that is a bad thing, milady! I-I was just commenting on the, er, _unique_ quality it has…!"

Judith shrugged, eyes flicking back up to the vessel she had just birthed before turning away. She sank back into the bed and stared at the ceiling, willing herself not to count the minutes to her departure. "I like the sound of it. That's all."

And it _was_ fitting, she thought. Reverie. The child was ultimately just a fleeting dream in the wake that was Grima, after all. She would disappear before long.

* * *

><p>To Judith's misfortune, when she had recovered enough from birthing Reverie she found that Validar had increased security around her. Not just the child, but <em>her<em>. Discreetly, of course, but Judith was no helpless female untrained in the art of war—she was a full-fledged falcon knight and her honed senses for enemies could feel the unknown presences all around her. They lingered outside of her doors and beyond her windows, but were gone from sight whenever she moved to open one to catch a glimpse of them.

It bothered her greatly to be so surrounded, but after several days of deliberately letting her guard down and no assassination attempts, she decided that Validar only wished to keep her in rather than get rid of her entirely. Which was, perhaps, even more of a bother. As much as she liked to live, dying would have been a much better alternative than having to remain within those walls.

Still, she would not give up trying to leave—she would simply have to lie low for a while. Eventually, Validar would lessen the guard around her and she could escape then. He had done it before, after all. After their wedding, after her pregnancy was announced… She was used to the suspicion by her dastard of a husband, so she supposed some part of her had been expecting this. In the end, it actually worked to her advantage. She knew how he operated on one such thing, at least, which made him predictable. Now, Judith was no genius, but even she knew how to exploit predictability to great effect.

She only wished he would be predictable in other ways, and that the Grimleal was not so fanatical a group. If they had been, perhaps she would have managed to drive a blade through her husband's heart long ago.

She stifled a dark laugh.

That was, of course, counting on the fact that he had a heart to stab, which she very much doubted.

* * *

><p>It was several months after Reverie's birth that Judith was awakened in the middle of the night by her cries.<p>

At first, the groggy matriarch could only stare dazedly at the ceiling, wondering what the foreign sound was that disturbed her sleep so. When her mind woke and reminded her of the vessel, she scowled and wondered where the child's caretakers were.

True to her internal vow, Judith had had little, if any, contact with Reverie since the babe was expelled from her body. She gave instructions for other members of the Grimleal to take over watching the infant, which they were only too happy to attend to. They had all but set up a system the last time she checked, where all hours were painstakingly accounted for in regards to Reverie's care. Had it been any other child in any other place, she would have found their dedication rather cute.

So, plainly put, Judith had to wonder why Reverie seemed to be unattended now if she were worked up so badly as to cry continuously with no one to silence her. With a deep sigh, Judith threw off the covers and exited her room, following the echoing screams to the child's room.

As she suspected, the room was empty save for the infant. Even the halls were devoid of life as she approached the room, no one scurrying forth to relieve her of this duty.

Another sigh left her as she crossed the grand room to the cradle. She stopped at its side and peered in somewhat warily, unsure of what to expect.

(She felt foolish at this thought much later, when she gave it more thought. What else was there to expect but a child?)

A crying face met her gaze, scrunched up with the ugly bawling every child makes when upset and unable to comprehend why. Against her better judgment, Judith reached in to pick the screaming infant up, holding her for the first time since her birth.

"Quiet, child," she said in a low, tired tone. "I don't know where your usual caretakers are, but their absence does not give you permission to throw a tantrum."

The crying continued.

Taking in a deep breath through her nose, Judith wracked her mind for what to do while her body subconsciously began rocking the baby in her arms. She was on the brink of triggering a headache from the extensive thinking and lack of sleep when she realized that the cries had quieted down.

Blinking, Judith shifted the tiny body to better view her face and immediately caught a sleepy reflection of her green eyes on the girl's face.

And that was when she realized it.

Carefully, Judith cradled the girl in one arm as she reached up to wipe away the last of her tears.

Reverie blinked back at her before yawning widely. But even then, she resumed watching her mother with her large green eyes.

Chuckling even as her heart began to pound at the implications of her revelation, Judith lowered her head to nudge against her daughter's, breathing in her scent.

Her daughter still held securely in her arms, she walked across the room to sit down at the small table set up in the corner just beside closed balcony doors. As she settled down, Reverie resting against her breast, Judith stared out at the night sky, wistful. Regretful.

"You are not Grima," she spoke aloud, very quietly. Then, stronger, she said, "Not you. Not my Reverie."

She looked down again, one hand going to touch Reverie's right hand. The hand that bore the dreaded Mark.

"You are not Grima," she repeated.

And so she made a new vow.

* * *

><p>"I have been informed that you wish to reclaim your maternal duties to Reverie," Validar stated when they met not a few days later in Judith's room, which was quickly being transformed to accommodate both herself and Reverie.<p>

"I did," Judith replied coolly. "And I have."

She stood on the other side of her large bed, where Reverie's cradle was, silently daring her husband to join her, or try to take away her daughter.

He did not.

"May I ask what brought about this… change?" His sharp eyes slanted her way, and she willed herself not to tense under his critical gaze.

"What does it matter?" she asked in response, turning away from him to scoop Reverie's sleeping body from her nest. She glided across the room, petting her daughter's silvery hair in an effort to calm herself down.

She felt Validar remain in the room, eerily quiet. He soon left without another word, but she remained anxious for a while after.

If she predicted him correctly, he would increase the guard around her again, and it would be a long while before it reduced enough for them to leave.

But Judith was willing to wait. There was still time, and she would cling to that knowledge, that hope, that her daughter would not live and die in vain. Eventually, they would escape.

Eventually, they would be free.

* * *

><p>It took three years.<p>

Three long years before Validar finally began reducing the watch on Judith and Reverie. Three long years before Judith could sleep an entire night through without waking up in the middle fearing a knife at her throat. Three long years of fearing that perhaps Validar would not trust her again, that he had become so paranoid with the birth of Reverie that they would truly be trapped there forever until Grima was summoned and destroyed everything.

But now, three years were gone, and Judith was finally able to put her plans into motion.

With a pack she had prepared as soon as the guard began reducing on her back and Reverie's toddler body bundled up in her arms, Judith snuck out of her rooms in the dead of night. Quickly and silently, she slipped through the halls to the courtyard where the stables were, entering them and locating her trusted steed, a white pegasus by the name of Ilyas.

Judith set a dozing Reverie down and urged her to be quiet while she readied Ilyas for the ride, saddling up in record speed. When the pack of supplies was securely strapped on, Judith stroked Ilyas's neck in an affectionate manner.

"This is an important flight, old friend," she murmured into the flying horse's neck. "We cannot fail."

And, as if he understood her, Ilyas's head bobbed. Reverie giggled from her bundle of blankets on the floor.

Judith couldn't help a small laugh of her own, but she quickly quieted as she stooped down to pick up Reverie again and place her on Ilyas's back. "Hold on now, okay? I'm coming up." When Reverie obediently clung to Ilyas's neck, Judith lifted herself onto his back. Once situated, she made sure that Reverie was secure, strapping the young girl to her own body, before urging Ilyas forward.

Heart pounding, she directed her mount to an open area clear for flight.

She took in a breath to steady her nerves.

"Okay, Ilyas. Reverie." Judith spared her daughter a smile. "Let's fly."

In the cover of night, the three were nothing but another star on the horizon before the Grimleal even knew what happened. But even then Judith pushed them ever onward for fear of landing too close and getting caught while unaware. Reverie fell asleep in her arms, lulled by the sound of Ilyas's wings beating steadily against the wind.

She was not sure how long they'd been traveling, but Judith presumed it was at least several hours by the lightening of the sky when they finally landed. The presence of trees and the cooler climate gave her the impression that they were around Plegia's border with Regna Ferox or perhaps even Ylisse. She cared little for the details, however, hoping only that they were far enough to catch some rest before taking to the skies once again.

Directing Ilyas to a small glade, Judith slid off his back with Reverie in tow. She settled the sleeping girl against a tree before attending to her loyal partner, setting out food and drink and giving him a light brushing down before returning to Reverie's side.

And as she dozed off, mind aware and ready to jump into action at a moment's notice, Judith swore that her daughter's future would be a happy one.


	2. The Boy in the Woods

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: Chapter One is actually more of a prologue, now that I think about it. But I'm too lazy to go back and change that. Besides, it always bugs me whenever I go to a chapter directory and can't designate something as, like, Chapter Zero or even just an interlude or something. I like the numbers to match, haha._**  
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This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

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><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Two  
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><p>Years passed.<p>

Life on the road with just Reverie and her mother (and Ilyas, of course) was exciting. Reverie knew enough to understand that it was very serious and that her mother was always on the lookout for something that kept them on the move, but even then she could not deny the thrill her nomadic life gave her. She could scarcely remember her time with the grim-people her mother spoke about from time to time, but what she could recall was always boring. She had never done anything there but stick to her mother's side because her mother was always warning her about the grim-people. They were bad.

"Well," said Judith one day as they were walking and not flying on Ilyas's back, "perhaps not all bad. Some of them are actually rather… pleasant. What they ultimately want is bad, however."

Reverie only blinked up at her mother. "So are they bad people or good people?"

Judith sighed and reached down to ruffle her hair. Reverie liked it when she did that. "You'll understand it better when you're older, but for now we'll just call them bad people."

That was a year ago, and Reverie still did not understand her mother's words so she decided she should wait another year or so before bringing it up again. Now, though, Reverie was five and, according to her mother, old enough to begin learning how to fight. Before, whenever they chanced upon brigands and other ne'er-do-wells while grounded, Judith would always send Reverie away. This was often on Ilyas's back, so they could fly far out of range while Judith engaged in battle on foot. Sometimes, however, Judith would need Ilyas and would run far enough to hide Reverie away in the woods somewhere before charging back at the enemy. It was always a risk to do so and Judith hated it when they did because otherwise Reverie was helpless.

While they would certainly start slow, as Judith emphasized when she brought the subject up, and she would not be able to join in fighting for a long while, Judith would feel more at ease knowing that Reverie had at least _some _training in combat. Reverie was eager to learn as well, having caught glimpses of her mother fighting. It was dangerous and thrilling and all around everything the little girl could dream of.

She told her mother so.

Judith only smiled—Reverie thought she looked rather sad, which confused her—and ruffled her hair. "I wish I could give you other things to dream about than fighting."

After fixing her hair (which was getting longer that she refused to allow cut), Reverie looked up at her mother who had returned her attention to their current flight path. "It's okay, Mama," she said, patting Judith's hand where it gripped Ilyas's reins. "I want to fight."

* * *

><p>It was after Reverie turned six that Judith began explaining more about the grim-people ("Grim<em>leal<em>," she corrected) and why they were running from them. Though Reverie did not understand the finer points, she heard enough to know that they wanted her, specifically, so that they could make her bad. And if Reverie let them turn her bad, Judith said, _very bad things_ would happen to the world.

"…So you must learn to be very careful of whom you speak to," her mother explained as they rested from the day's training. "Especially while we are in Plegia. Many Plegians are Grimleal, but not all of them are aware of the inner workings. Even so, information travels very fast so caution is necessary."

"What should I do, then?" Reverie asked, troubled. Did this mean she had to stop talking with people? She rarely got to speak with anyone already…

Judith was silent for a moment. Then, "I believe it would be best if we thought up a different identity for you to go by. The Grimleal know you as 'Reverie', true, but they only know your features as a very young child. Your appearance will change as you grow older—perhaps even enough so that they won't recognize you easily. If you had another name to give, it could help in fooling them."

Reverie considered, weighing the idea in her mind as Judith often coached her to do for big decisions. "So I have to stop being Reverie?"

"Not stop," Judith said. "You can just think of it as a nickname. 'Reverie' will be a name you only give to the people you trust the most—your closest friends."

The concept of "friends" was foreign to Reverie, and she paused in her decision-making to marvel at the word and the images it brought forth. A life of traveling the Plegian (and occasionally Feroxian or even Ylissean) countryside made making and keeping friendships hard. She never knew when or if they would visit a village or town again, even if one of her mother's growing list of "contacts" was in the area. Granted, they never stayed long enough for Reverie to ever get a true grasp of what friendship even was, so it was not like she knew what she was missing out on. She liked to think of it being the same as never knowing her father. She knew he was there and that he existed (and was apparently a bad guy as part of the Grimleal), but, having had little interaction with him, she could not find it in herself to miss him.

Judith seemed to find it strange whenever Reverie tried to explain this to her, but tended to shrug it off as one of her quirks.

"So?" Judith's voice brought Reverie out of her thoughts and back to the present. "Do you think you could do it?"

Unable to think of anything to say, Reverie only nodded.

"Good. Now then! Next, we need to think up your new name. Nothing complicated, but nothing too similar to your real name," Judith said, looking her daughter over carefully. "It should also be something you can get used to easily, and would actually _like_ to be called…"

Silence swept over them in the small forest clearing where they'd made their stop, broken only by the occasional movement of Ilyas as he groomed his wings. Reverie thought back to all the stories her mother would tell her at night when she had trouble sleeping, trying to conjure up a name from one of the characters she could remember. There were many, as her mother seemed to recall tales of war fought by armies in the distant past, but there were also a few myths and fairy tales that Reverie enjoyed hearing.

A name shot out at her. She turned to her mother. "Maybe 'Eve'?"

Judith seemed to think for a moment, her brows furrowing over her eyes. "…As in the paladin?" she asked, recalling an obscure, barely mentioned figure from one such story told to her daughter over the years.

Reverie shook her head. "Like the myth."

Her mother hummed. "It's a nice name, I'll admit. Do you like it? Remember, you'll be called this from now on—we shouldn't have to change it later on because that will look suspicious. Especially if we happen to visit the same places."

She hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded again.

Judith eyed her as if to determine whether or not she was being truthful. Eventually she nodded in return. "All right. Eve, it is." She blinked as a thought occurred to her, and she smiled. "If I remember correctly, Eve means 'living'… Yes, I think that will be a great name for you. Prove to the man that sired you that you are no vessel meant to die for one group's selfish goals." She reached out to tuck a strand of silver-blue hair behind Reverie's ear before smoothing her hand down her cheek. "Prove to all of them that you are more than the unfortunate name I gave you—that you will not disappear like a fleeting dream or thought, but _live_, truly and vibrantly."

"Yes, Ma—Mother," the newly dubbed "Eve" replied, as solemnly as a six-year-old could. "I will."

_I will live._

* * *

><p>Time continued marching ever onward as the mother-daughter duo trekked all over the continent. They weathered through all kinds of terrain, finding shelter when they could and sleeping beneath the stars when it was safe and no other option was available to them. In towns, Judith would go about interacting with the townspeople, haggling prices in the markets for their supplies, while Eve acquainted herself with the different places or trained on her own on the outskirts. Occasionally, Judith would establish a "contact", which she explained later to a curious Eve was meant to monitor any movements of the Grimleal.<p>

The group rarely moved from Plegia if they did not have to, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Validar was nothing if not a tenacious and malevolent man. He enjoyed striking when it was least expected, so she liked to have as good a grasp on his movements as she could. While this meant going back to certain villages and towns time and again to check up on said contacts, Judith felt that any information gained was worth it. She would simply have to time their visits with busy times of the year, crossing paths and tagging along with merchant caravans to reduce attention and suspicion.

It was with one such caravan that brought Judith and Eve back into Plegia, stopping by numerous towns and villages until they reached the destination they'd been aiming for. The merchants that had picked them up by the roadside were quite generous in their hospitality, which they jokingly said was due to Judith's own abilities in fighting off brigands and protecting their wares.

"Our own boys are talented, sure, but nothin' beats a trained soldier," said one merchant, whom Eve thought was the leader of the caravan. He had a nice laugh, deep from the belly, and shared much information with her about the tricks of the trade of being a merchant. "Doesn't hurt that you ladies are nice company. My wife's always complaining about things being too monotonous on the road. Shame you'll be stopping at the next town, though."

When they reached said town, Judith and Eve said their goodbyes to the merchant friends they'd made before heading off, into and passed the outskirts until they reached a small wood. Although a town with one of her comrades, it was also a town where the more fanatical members of the Grimleal tended to lurk. To allow Eve to walk around when there was a chance one of those members worked for Validar when Eve was born was a risk. Loathe as she was to leave her daughter in the forest where all manners of creatures and people would be around, she had to admit that Eve was well-accustomed to surviving in the wild. She had a sharp mind, too, all but disappearing if she wished to avoid unsavory people and using the terrain to her advantage in encounters she could not avoid.

"All right, Eve, remember not to stray too far in or out," Judith said, accompanied by a customary deep sigh. Unlike during their travels, her outfit consisted of the dark and gold silks of the standard sorceress garb, complete with headgear to provide protection from the hot Plegian sun. It was an outfit she'd packed long ago during their initial escape from the Grimleal, on the off-chance that she would need to blend in with her fellow Plegians. Falcon knights were not exactly common in Plegia, after all, where wyverns were the more populous aerial breed. "If you run into trouble, you know what to do, right?"

Eve's eyebrows furrowed over her green eyes, mouth tugging into a frown. Had she been any other child or perhaps more in tune with her emotions, Judith supposed, she would have been making quite the face. "Do I _have_ to…?"

Judith gently tilted Eve's head up, forcing her daughter to look her in the eyes. "You're still not ready for a head-on fight, Eve, but your magic is extraordinary." Most likely inherited from her father, was what was left unsaid. "And you _will_ use every advantage you have to stay safe. Even if it means using dark magic."

"I hate dark magic…" Eve muttered. Her frown lessened, however, when her mother kissed her forehead.

"I know. I don't like it either," Judith admitted. "But you are what you are, and I won't have you rejecting that part of you when it can mean the difference between life or death. Understood?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good. Now, I'll be off!" Judith stood, hands reaching up to ensure her hood was on correctly. "I should be back by late afternoon, but your pack has enough food to last until later if need be. You have your money pouch?"

Eve reached down and patted her pockets before reaching into one to produce said pouch.

Judith nodded. "All right. Keep that on you in case you have to abandon the pack. Keep your knife, too, to hunt—I think I put that in there somewhere. Anyways, I'll be going. Be good!"

Checklist finished, Eve watched as Judith made her way back out of the woods and towards the town, looking away only when she became little more than a vague figure in the distance. With a little sigh of her own, she turned to the forest behind her and listened, wondering what she should do next.

She could try training, sure, but she never did as well on her own because there was no one to tell her what or if she was doing anything wrong. Play-pretend got old quickly, especially since the most she could ever come up with were different scenarios against bandits and brigands, pulled from her early memories to apply what she knew now into them. Her mother always seemed exasperated when she heard of this, wondering aloud why Eve would think of those things to play as and not something more peaceful, like imagining she were a village girl or something. Eve would try to do so for a while, but would almost always inevitably end up enlisting herself in some army to become a soldier and fight brigands anyways.

Remembering what her mother said about the knife, Eve pulled off her back to fish around for the weapon, securing it to the belt on her waist. Once it was firmly attached and ready to wield in a moment's notice, she stared at the open top of her bag and wondered if she should just spend the day reading again. The books that she and her mother carried were few to keep space for more important supplies, but she'd always made sure to keep a couple around to study when she was bored or forbidden from training.

It was as Eve was reaching in to pull out the text on ancient history that she felt a foreign presence nearby. She tensed, straining her ears as her mind swiftly picked apart the sounds of the forest. The sounds of birds amongst the trees. The sparse winds blowing through the leaves. The tiny, barely there scratching sounds as a squirrel ran up a tree trunk—

Footsteps.

Soft and light, but becoming ever so slightly louder as they got closer.

Her head snapped up, eyes fixed into a focused glare and hands out of her bag and on the hilt of the dagger on her waist.

A young boy stood across from her, foot extended as if to step out from around the tree he was partly behind but frozen in the air.

Surprised, Eve stood straight, but did not let go of the hilt of her knife. She took a step back, leaving her bag where it was in case that was what he wanted, and eyed him warily.

He looked to be about her age or perhaps just slightly younger with pale skin and stark white, somewhat messy, hair. His clothes looked to be in bad shape, frayed and somewhat tattered at the edges with dirt smudges here and there against the pieces that weren't black, and even his boots looked close to falling apart. Strangely, his eyes were closed and yet she could just feel his gaze on her.

A growling sound brought her out of her observing, however. Not the growling of a hungry stomach, as she half expected, but a low warning growl of a predator.

Eve sucked in a breath when the creature emitting the sound stepped out from behind the boy—a large, beautiful wolf that looked every bit as graceful as it was deadly. It stepped in front of the boy as if to protect him and for several long seconds the three merely stared at one another, frozen.

And then the boy smiled. And laughed.

"You should probably let go of that thing or she'll keep thinking of you as a threat," he said.

For a moment, Eve wondered what he meant. Then he lifted a hand to point at her waist and, understanding, released her hold on the knife. When the wolf did not stop growling, she slowly lifted her hands in the air and looked to the boy as if to ask what she should do.

His smile widened and he reached down to pet his companion, whose hackles slowly fell as her growling quieted. "See?"

Eve did not, as the wolf was still regarding her warily, but she kept quiet regardless.

The boy laughed again. "Not that that little thing would've done you any good. I'm _really_ good at magic, see, and if I wanted to, I could hex you without a word! Just like…"

A feeling like a spark in the air made itself known to Eve a split second before it rushed at her—the telltale sign of magic. Even more, dark magic. Eve tensed, just barely, as her body reacted to the threat posed to her. She felt her own magic swell up inside her and snap out in return, deflecting the curse before it could reach her.

"…that?" the boy finished, confused. Or, more accurately, stunned. His eyes opened. They were gray.

Eve let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

Only to gasp when the boy smiled even wider than before and all but scampered over to her, his wolf companion close at his heels. "That was awesome! I've never met someone who could do that before! You're like me, huh!?"

"Um," was all she could say in the face of his enthusiasm.

"My name's Henry and this is Wolfie! I kinda live in the town there, but my parents dropped me off here and this is where Wolfie lives so I like it better here! Nobody bothers me and stuff and I can always sneak magic tomes here to learn how to do it better than in town and anyways what's your name?"

By that point, he had become so close that all Eve could really see was his face and just barely, for her eyes were all but glued to his. Gently, she pushed him away from her so she could breathe and absorb his words properly, staring at him oddly as he waited expectantly for her reply.

Sighing, she said, "I'm Eve." Then, as her mind caught up with his words, she asked, "You live here?"

Henry nodded cheerfully. "Yep! More or less! Not a lot of people come here, which is nice. S'also why I snuck up on you! Was that your mom that left you here?"

Eve tilted her head to the side. "Kind of. She has something to do in the town."

The boy hummed, and it was at that point that Eve rather belatedly realized that the wolf was calm beside him now, peering up at her with large, curious eyes. "Well, whatever! You're interesting, so you can come with me and Wolfie. We know these woods _really_ well and we can do all kinds of stuff!" Without waiting for a reply, he spun around and marched off. "C'mon!"

It was against her better judgment, admittedly, to follow the rather feral boy and his wolf friend, especially after he blatantly tried to hex her without a shred of remorse. But whether she realized it or not, Eve was very starved for human attention outside of her mother's—even more, for children her own age. And so, taking time only to pick up her pack, Eve followed after Henry and wondered just what he did in this forest outside of teaching himself how to curse others.

"You know, I really like your little hair ribbon. Red's my favorite color!"

Oddly, she had the distinct feeling that he was a little like herself.

* * *

><p>Eve ended up staying with Henry for the rest of the day, tagging along with the odd duo from what felt like one end of the forest to the other. According to Henry it wasn't a very large forest, so her mother could find her easily when or if she came back. And truly, even to their small bodies it was simple and did not take much time to wander from one area to the next.<p>

As she suspected, Henry was not very well-versed in playing with another child, preferring to stay alone in the forest with Wolfie than go into the town to try and play with the other children there. So it was certainly an odd day in which they shot ideas back and forth on what to do that did not involve physically or magically harming one another. Eventually, they managed to come up with a few games for them both to enjoy, running through the trees with Wolfie at their heels as they fought imaginary opponents and seized victory in their private forest kingdom.

"Nyahaha!" Henry had an odd laugh, but Eve took comfort in its strangeness. "That was fun! I like fighting!"

"Me, too," she replied.

They had stopped to rest in a small clearing, flopping onto the ground with little care as they regained their breath. Henry rolled over on his spot, gray eyes shut once again as he grinned widely. Or perhaps it was the grin that made his eyes squint and only appear to be closed. Eve could not tell.

"You're really good at it. I don't know any of those moves—just magic. And you come up with really wild plans! Are you gonna be in the army when you grow up?"

Eve turned her head briefly to glance at him, but turned away when his eyes opened when she did not reply right away. "…No."

He made a disappointed sound. "You'd be really good at it!" he said, but did not press the subject further.

She was grateful.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was spent like that, playing when they wished and resting when they wanted. Eve shared the food her mother packed with Henry, who exclaimed over it and stuffed his face with the bits she told him were very good. Wolfie would come and go during this time, seemingly content to leave them together to hunt or whatever it was wolves do. Henry did not seem worried whenever she left, so Eve did not question it.<p>

It was late afternoon when the trio finally stopped playing and running around, coming to a stop in another clearing that Henry boasted as the most comfortable spot to rest in the entire forest. It went against her instincts to simply lie down and sleep, but Henry only dragged her over and reassured her that everything would be okay. Even Wolfie seemed to make comforting rumbles in her chest, as if to tell her that they would be safe.

Tired, but pleasantly so, and lured into the comforting sunlight filtered through the trees, Eve eventually succumbed and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When she woke up, it was early evening and Wolfie was growling low in her throat.<p>

Alarmed, Eve searched their surroundings for threats only to start when she saw her mother crouched some several feet away, posture relaxed and expression neutral. "Mother."

Judith inclined her head, though her eyes flicked to the wolf lying near her. "Eve. It's time to go."

It was strange, but for the first time Eve felt tendrils of disappointment lace through her at her mother's words. She looked to Henry, who was still sleeping beside her, and then to Wolfie, who had quieted and was now staring at her with a patient gaze that seemed to mirror her mother's.

She lowered her head. "…Okay."

Eve heard her mother stand and begin to make her way out of the clearing, most likely to allow her the time and privacy to say goodbye. But Eve did not want to say goodbye, so she motioned for Wolfie to keep quiet as she untied the ribbon holding up her hair. Once it was undone, she carefully tied it around one of Henry's wrists before standing and gathering her pack.

"Thank you, Henry. Wolfie," she said before jogging after her mother.

When she glanced back, Wolfie had lowered her head to curl around Henry, filling the empty space that Eve had occupied.

"You're not going to complain?" her mother asked when Eve faced forward again, having lost sight of the two through the trees.

Eve shook her head. "No. We're traveling for my safety, so I shouldn't." She managed to send her mother a small smile. "Today was enough."

Judith chuckled, low and sad, as she reached over to pat Eve's head. "You need to stop reading those history books. They're making you grow up too fast." She sighed. "But I suppose that's a good thing, in a way. If you can make mature decisions like that, I can rest a little easier. Now, come on. I want to get out of this outfit. It reminds me of your father."


	3. Learning to Fly

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

Also, I'm glad there are people who are enjoying reading this—or so it seems. I'm writing this for fun, but it's good to see that others like it, too! Besides that, apologies for any roughness you see in the writing here or typos and the like. I go over these as best as I can, but I do miss things. If there are any really confusing pieces at any time in this story, don't be afraid to point them out so I can explain them better._**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Three  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Eve was nearing her eighth birthday when she declared that she would become a pegasus knight just like her mother.<p>

Amused, Judith paused in the middle of grooming Ilyas to quirk her eyebrow at her. "Really? You don't want to become something else? You don't _have_ to follow in my footsteps, you know. Or anyone else's for that matter."

Eve shook her head, nearly dislodging her silver-blue hair out of its bun. "I want to be a pegasus knight, maybe even a falcon knight, like you."

"Stubborn child," Judith said, but she laughed. She resumed brushing Ilyas's coat when he nudged her with his nose. "All right. If you're still sure by the time we reach the next town, we'll search for a place to properly train you. If we're lucky, I might be able to get you lessons with other pegasi so you don't depend on knowing Ilyas for your riding."

Eve nodded, walking up to pet Ilyas between his eyes. "Maybe one day I'll have my own pegasus, too," she said. She brought her head forward to nuzzle him, all but hugging his large head. "If I do, I hope we get to be as close as you guys."

When she pulled back, her mother was smiling warmly at her. A rare sight for their lives on the run, but a look that Eve had always wished to be able to copy and produce in vain. "I'm sure you will." Then, she chuckled, ruffling Ilyas's mane. "Just don't get _too_ close or you'll make ol' Ilyas here jealous!"

"Ilyas is understanding and wise. He knows he'll always have a special place in my heart," Eve declared. "Don't you, boy?"

And just as she always tried to get him to do since childhood, Ilyas's head bobbed as if he were agreeing. Eve hid a giggle in his neck while Judith laughed outright.

* * *

><p>Searching for a proper place to train Eve in the ways of the pegasus knight brought the mother-daughter duo (plus pegasus) to the temperate lands of Ylisse. Judith herself had been taught by a tutor who hailed from Ylisstol who had settled in Plegia for some reason or another. Such people were rare, however, and less and less of such foreigners were coming around as the tension between the two kingdoms grew. It was easy to see with their travels that many Ylisseans were wary of the barbaric Plegians they were told about, while Plegians muttered bitterly about the snobbish and privileged Ylisseans that hid behind a veil of peace.<p>

When they approached an outpost dedicated to training new pegasus knight recruits, it took a good long while for Judith to convince them to hear her out. It took even longer for them to agree to allow Eve to be trained, caving only when Judith displayed her abilities against their best and vowed to help teach their recruits alongside her daughter.

The deal made, Judith and Eve settled into the town with some unease. Having lived on the road made them wary of staying in any given area for longer than a week, but they were deep in the heart of Ylisse. The Grimleal could not follow them easily there—especially not without sending a ripple of warning far ahead of time. Validar's assassins were another story, but Judith could take care of _them_ before they could even think about returning with a report on their whereabouts.

It made her want to laugh, really. For even after all these years, her husband was still rather predictable.

* * *

><p>Years followed their pseudo-settling in the town to train with the pegasus knight recruits. They were turbulent years, full of close calls that kept Judith on the edge of outright paranoia. She sent word out to her contacts to spread rumors of sightings of herself and Eve to send the Grimleal on a wild goose chase, but there were always a few sent out to where they were last officially seen.<p>

One particularly fanatical Grimleal who'd gotten the better of Judith had nearly gotten away, too, had it not been for Eve's quick thinking. And acting skills.

"I wish to remain here," she had said in a firm tone, emulating Judith's voice when she gave a lesson that could mean life or death to her listeners. "And I do not wish for the others to know. Their presence will disturb me, and I wish to focus and become stronger for L… _Lord _Grima." She had stumbled slightly, forcing herself to assign respect to the fell dragon, but the man had not seemed to notice.

"But milady," he had protested, "We must know where you are in order to protect you!"

"This one here has my trust for that. She has been my… loyal servant for years. Now, go. And tell no one of our location or status. Not even my lord father." Because he would not dare raise a hand against her, she had allowed herself to threaten him, gathering up the magic swirling about in her body and letting it rise up to spark in the air around them. It was mostly a bluff—showmanship, really—full of eerie whispers meant to inspire fear or, in the assassin's case, awe. "Or do you mean to question my judgment, knave? Lord Grima's instincts within me have always been impeccable, but if you _insist_…"

Needless to say, the man had fled rather quickly at that, vowing to keep their location a secret he would take to the grave if necessary. Judith kept quiet as he made his proclamations, not believing him one bit, but did not dare to speak up in the case that he truly believed in Eve's words. If she gave him any reason to believe she was not the "servant" Eve claimed her to be, he could go right back to reporting their whereabouts directly to Validar.

It was a tense few weeks after his departure, but the sightings of the Grimleal dwindled and Judith's spies reported that they had lost their lead. Even more, word got out that it was Ylissean brigands defending their territory that did not take kindly to Plegians rooting around their land. It was highly convincing, since the war between both was still fresh on either kingdom's minds, and the bitterness and tension was still high. Regardless, though grateful for their luck and the assassin's silence, Judith upped Eve's training regimen, hoping to leave the town as soon as they could.

Thankfully, years of living with Ilyas and flying on his back gave Eve a natural inclination towards the winged beasts. She could certainly understand them better than she could her fellow humans, communicating with them easily through touch and observation. Judith supposed it was because animals were straightforward in their emotions, exuding it through body language in ways humans could only dream of matching. Eve was attuned to that silence; living on the road with only her mother and Ilyas for company made her used to speaking with her gestures rather than her words, as was the way of humans.

It was a fault of Judith's that she had failed to correct with her daughter, she knew and understood that. While she was much the same, preferring the company of Ilyas to other people, she at least had courtly training from the years of preparation to become Validar's wife. While she and everyone else in the inner circle knew her to be simply for breeding the fellblood, it would not done for the matriarch of the Grimleal to be uncivilized and unable to socialize properly with the nobility and other elite, after all.

If she were being entirely honest, Judith could admit to withholding similar lessons from Eve out of spite. However, she was not one to refrain from teaching her daughter things that could help her out of petty emotions. But she was also not someone who did things by halves, and so she made a choice between what was more important for her daughter to know. While proper etiquette was good depending on the situation, what Eve was learning now was much more important. The instincts and ability to read others based on body language and aura alone could mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield. And Judith was determined to give Eve every advantage she could in the fight for her life.

Besides, if her performance with the assassin earlier were any indication, some of the books Eve read must have been some form of historic drama. Judith certainly never taught her how to speak in such a way. She pulled off the haughty noble role quite well, actually.

(In later musings, Judith would wonder if that last bit were something to be proud of. But it was something that helped ensure their safety, so she gave it a pass. Barely.)

* * *

><p>Training to become a pegasus knight was fairly intensive, as any mounted unit would be. The first thing any individual did to become a pegasus knight was, quite obviously, learn to ride a pegasus.<p>

While easy in theory, especially to Eve who had spent her life around one, becoming a proper rider was more complicated than it seemed. Anyone could ride, after all. It was riding _well_ that was the problem. When Eve took the time to ask her mother the difference during their lessons, Judith explained that Ilyas was a trained pegasus so of course he would be easy to ride. He was also a war pegasus, so he had to be receptive to the orders of his rider at any given moment, regardless of who it was, and carry them out lest it mean both their deaths.

Learning to ride and work with other pegasi and developing an independent seat regardless of the mount was the goal that pegasus knights were first meant to reach. Of course, they did not have to be the best at it, but in order to survive the course of fighting on the back of a pegasus meant they had to have a good level of stability and control.

Eve, due to her small and light stature, had some difficulties with this at first, but gradually became used to it. It helped that she was still growing fast at her age, to the point that her body was quickly catching up with her mind. Her mother and father were fairly tall at any rate, so it was natural that Eve was tall for her age. And, with her mother's diligent teachings and tips from other knights overlooking the recruits, she was able to become a fairly competent rider in just over two years at the age of ten.

"Don't pay attention to others and whether you're better or worse than them," her mother instructed when she caught Eve staring at the other knights as they continuously took off and landed in the training field. "Everyone has different learning speeds when it comes to riding. There are children younger than you who are more talented and will become better riders in half the time as you given the chance. It's just like there are older knights who are at your same level even with more years and experience of riding." Judith reached up to flick Eve's forehead. "It's good to keep in mind, but don't get caught up in thinking about it or you'll never grow."

The more complicated parts of the training began from there, in which Eve learned to, first, wield a lance while in flight (substituted with a blunt wooden pole at first, of course) without throwing herself off or dropping it. After her balance returned, Judith and the other trainers would run her through different flight maneuvers to perform in battle. It was a dizzying affair: dropping from the air to touch down and strike an enemy and launch back up the next moment; evading enemy arrows while aiming a javelin using only her legs to guide her mount; learning the signs of a wind spell and dodging accordingly, hoping any side effects wouldn't knock her off…

If Eve had not had any true respect for the pegasus knights and the training they went through to master such aerial combat, she certainly did now. Three years would teach one that, and at age thirteen Eve was certain that she could pick out just about all of the hardships her mother endured to be able to fight while on Ilyas's back—and so well, too.

Speaking of her mother…

"Eve, meet me at the town square after you've had your dinner," Judith said when she approached after being called during training. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Curious, but unwilling to let it distract her, Eve resumed her training for the day and only thought about it again when they were called in. It would not be the first time that Judith called someone over to meet her. She said it was a way for people to get to know Eve as a person, rather than only hearing about her and her role as the vessel. Though Eve was rather bemused most of the time by such meetings, Judith solemnly told her about how even she had spent a good amount of time believing Eve to be nothing but Grima in human form, just waiting to be awakened, before realizing that she was a child like any other. She wanted others to know that as well, so that they thought twice before even thinking about betraying them to the Grimleal.

It was effective, but heartbreakingly cruel in a way. Eve told her mother so, but Judith said only that she would give as many sadistic choices as it took to keep her safe.

With a sigh, Eve ate her dinner and left in search of her mother in the evening light. She found her quickly, as the town streets were beginning to empty as people returned to their homes, and Judith led her around until they reached what appeared to be a large stable.

"A horse breeder lives here," Judith explained. "And he conducts his business in his store—that building there." She pointed it out to Eve, who looked. "A while ago, I went here hoping to find out if he had any contacts with pegasi breeders."

At this, Eve's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why not just ask the stable master for the pegasus knights?"

Her mother smiled. "Because while their pegasi are indeed well-bred, I am searching for a different breed of pegasi. A rarer kind, you could say. They aren't used as often, but they are known for their unique adaptability to magic."

They stopped at the stable entrance, walking in only when Judith lifted a hand to alert someone working there that they were coming in. He seemed to have been expecting them, though, and did not bother them once Judith led Eve inside. They walked through the center aisle, passed numerous stalls before finally stopping before one.

"Here he is!" Judith presented, rather redundantly for Eve was already staring.

It was a young male pegasus, that much was certain from Judith's proud proclamation. What stunned Eve was the fact that his coat was not the white color she was accustomed to pegasi having but rather black. In fact, the color of his hair reminded Eve much of a raven in its deep coloration. She stepped closer, still staring intently at the pegasus. He looked back at her, ears forward. His eyes were blue.

"This darker breed could be seen as something of a mutation," Judith said as Eve and the pegasus engaged in a staring contest. "While most pegasi aren't too good with magic-users riding them since the feeling of magic in the air so close by makes them skittish, these types stay pretty calm. I don't see them around _too_ often since it's more traditional to go the usual pegasus knight route, but they're gaining popularity." When neither seemed to pay attention to her, she chuckled. "Why don't you go inside and greet him properly? You're going to be partners from now on—it's best to do things right."

Eve started, snapping out of the staring contest to look at her mother. "He's mine?"

"More or less," Judith replied. Her eyes slid to the dark pegasus. "So do you need an invitation or…?"

Eve shook her head and turned back to the pegasus—_her_ pegasus—before taking a breath and approaching his stall calmly and surely. He watched her carefully as she did, giving no sign that she should back away. Taking that as encouragement, she entered his stall.

When she lifted a hand and patted his face, he bumped his nose against her palm.

She smiled and, not taking her eyes off of him, said, "I think I'll call you 'Kyanos'. For your blue eyes."

Leaning against the stall's door, Judith snorted. "They look like more of a pale blue than cyan to me."

"It's okay. I think it suits him anyways."

The pegasus made a sound in his throat and bumped his nose to Eve's hand again.

She liked to think that was his way of agreeing.

* * *

><p>Training with Kyanos ended up taking another year and a half or so for the two to get used to one another and teach him more beyond the basic training he had already had. The more complicated flight maneuvers they could learn when they returned to traveling, but basic attacks and charges were all that was needed for now.<p>

True to Judith's words, however, they found that Kyanos was completely undisturbed when Eve would cast magic from his back—something that made even Ilyas antsy. It was certainly a _process_ trying to find a way for her to attack properly, having learned to fight with a lance and with no basis on using a tome in the air even from the other pegasus knights. But she made it work somehow after months of trial and error. While she could not boast doing it perfectly, she could at least hit the targets she aimed for and still manage to keep the book in hand and herself on Kyanos's back.

Judith only told her to continue practicing and to keep a lance around to fight with until she could wield her tomes just as effortlessly in combat. Eve agreed and, after several more weeks of practicing with Kyanos—just to be safe—they bid the pegasus knights and the town that sheltered them a fond farewell. To her embarrassment, several of Judith's students, new and old, cried when they left. Both out of relief of losing one of their strictest teachers and sorrow that she was going away.

"They love you a lot," Eve said, observing the lingering group over her shoulder as they rode away.

Her mother snorted. "They're crying for you, too, you know."

Eve turned, blinking.

Huffing, Judith said, "Oh, don't look so surprised." And, despite Eve's inability to properly show her emotions, Judith _could_ read her expressions and made it a point to tell her so often. "Maybe you didn't realize it, but you _were_ friends with a few of them. Honestly, child…"

Eve once again turned, straining her neck as she looked to the figures growing ever smaller in the distance. "…That's strange."

"You'll learn," said her mother. "One day, we won't have to travel like this and you'll learn how to make friends with other people, and bond with them properly. A person can't live without such ties."

"'Ties'?"

"Yes. Invisible ties that link people together." Judith gestured back to the group with a tilt of her head. "You made some with a few of them, and it helped you to grow, didn't it? You bonded over your shared trials and grew alongside them. Always remember that becoming close with others is not a weakness, Reverie."

The use of her true name made her start, and Eve nodded slowly as she strove to absorb her mother's words.

"Someday, those bonds will be your strength even when the world seems like it's falling to pieces." Judith's voice was distant and she stared, unseeing, at something in the space in front of her.

Eve was quiet as she became lost in her own thoughts. Though she processed her mother's words clearly and committed them to memory, she found that she could not understand it. To her, "friendship" was still a rather foreign term. Finding out now that she had made friends without knowing it was a pleasant one, like executing a complicated move perfectly for the first time. But it was also of little use, as she only knew it after the fact. How was she to truly understand what it meant to have friends when she had no time to take it in? They'd been comrades, yes, and she treated them as such. Being a friend, and treating another as a friend, would be different, would it not?

Both mother and daughter sighed. Then, realizing they'd done so at the same time, laughed or, in Eve's case, smiled.

She would find out later, as her mother suggested she would. She was sure of it.


	4. Odd Friendship

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

Also, I love writing for Henry, but I don't know how well I keep him in character, especially before his complete training and loss of sanity and obsession with blood and macabre, but I hope I don't kill it too badly. I'm trying to aim for the happy medium in which he is that off-kilter guy we all know and love (or rather, becoming him), but not so much that it's unbelievable or overblown… does that make sense? _**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Four  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Eve was sixteen when she and her mother (and Ilyas and Kyanos) made another circuit through Plegia to get in contact with some of her harder to reach spies. She usually communicated with them through bird messages, but tensions were on another rise between Plegia and Ylisse. She could not risk for Plegian soldiers to begin scanning what messages were coming in, so they had to visit in person, which was no easy task as well. As two pegasus riders, they were looked on with scrutiny and no little derision. While they could leave Ilyas and Kyanos somewhere for a while and walk amongst the people in other clothes, they did not like to. Pegasi were valuable creatures, after all, and there was no telling if and when someone would want to take them and sell them off or worse.<p>

So, braving the sometimes evil looks that they got, they wandered into town, separating part of the way so Judith could meet with her contact. She gave Eve the usual warnings to not draw attention to herself, which meant hiding her rather noticeable silver-blue hair (which was grown quite long now) much to her dismay. But she knew the risk was not worth it and so kept her helmet on over her carefully tied hair.

It was around high noon that Eve began wondering if she should simply leave town and wait for her mother in the wild, for it was stiflingly hot. Her head felt overheated and her tough uniform and armor kept in the heat, making her feel as if she were roasting alive. While she was rather used to the Plegian heat, even she could not bear it at times.

With a deep sigh, Eve only led Kyanos through the crowds, wandering the streets until she found a suitably deserted area. Said area turned out to be part of a residential district quite close to what appeared to be a large academy or institution. It was rather eerie, actually, and Eve skirted around the tall fences with Kyanos, trying to tell whether or not the Grimleal were in the area.

Eventually, she deemed it safe—her senses picked up a plethora of magically-inclined individuals, but none with the signature darkness that tainted Grima's most ardent followers. Sure, the vast majority of Plegians were Grimleal and pledged themselves to the faith, with some studying the art of dark magic, but not all of them were truly devoted to Grima. No, only the most passionate of his followers were the ones she truly had to watch out for and, after years of close encounters with them, she knew the feeling of their presences quite keenly.

She gave another sigh, this time in relief, as she pulled off her helmet, fanning herself as she settled in the shade of a tall building. Kyanos nickered beside her, lowering his head to nudge her shoulder.

"I don't know what you're laughing about," Eve said as she reached up to pat his neck. "You must be absolutely _baking_ with that dark coat of yours." He nudged her again and she huffed out a laugh as she kept up her petting. "Spoiled child. You're younger than I am, you know, so I've a right to say that."

Kyanos made another sound, but before Eve could respond a startlingly familiar laugh interrupted her.

"Nyaha! He's got a point, y'know!"

Startled, Eve scrambled up to her feet in a crouch, hand snapping back to grab the tome hooked to the belt on her waist behind her. Kyanos, in response to her quick moves, stepped forward, wings flaring out, ears pinned back and snorting in warning.

"Wow, you're still quick as ever, aren'tcha?" said the boy standing several feet off to the side. He was grinning despite the obvious threat, bent slightly to the side as he tried to get a better look at Eve from her spot behind Kyanos. He waved. "Hey there!"

She knew him. She remembered him because she swore that she wouldn't forget the first and only day she'd ever truly played as a child. The day when, other than receiving Kyanos, she had felt truly and wholly happy, with none of the worries that had been plaguing her for the entirety of her short life.

"…Henry," she murmured as she recalled his name. Then, more confidently, she asked, "You _are_ Henry… aren't you?"

"Yep!" he answered, cheery as ever. "Last time I checked I was, at least. Glad ya remember me, Eve! I thought you didn't for a second there since you looked like you wanted to _kill_ me!" There was a split second pause before he asked, "Do you?"

"Not really," she replied in a vague way that would have confused anyone else, but Henry only beamed sunnily in reply. "What are you doing here?"

"Funny, I was just about to ask _you_ that. 'cause I live here. In the academy there, I mean." He pointed to the side at the building Eve had been wandering around earlier in search of Grimleal. "I didn't have any classes right now so I was just about to head to the library to look up some dark magic when I felt _you_ here! So I left to search for you and here you are!"

Confused, Eve ventured, "You… _felt_ me?"

Henry nodded, and it was then that Eve noticed he was in the standard uniform of a mage-in-training. It was dark in color and he wore the typical cloak over it, making her wonder how he could stand the heat. Then again, mage robes were made of significantly lighter material in comparison to the leather and armor of other soldier classes. "Uh huh! It's like magic sense. Everyone has a magic signature, y'know? Not a lot of people can feel the differences to pick out individual people, but after practicing for a while I can."

"…Huh." Eve stored the information away, wondering if she would be able to do the same given enough time. "Wait, but why are you _here_? The town and forest I met you in… that's further south, isn't it? I thought you lived there, with Wolfie…?"

It was very slight, and his smiling expression never changed, but there was a shift in the air surrounding Henry the moment Eve mentioned his wolf companion. If she looked closely, she could see an odd crease around his eyebrows.

Feeling she'd overstepped her boundaries, she opened her mouth to retract her words.

Henry laughed, interrupting her. It was his same odd laugh, but she found she derived no warmth or comfort in it as she had before. "Ah, yeah. One day I was in the town and she came to visit me 'cause I was gone too long or something and the villagers all killed her. I got them back, but my parents decided to send me here to the academy because of it."

Dismay filled Eve as she remembered the beautiful forest wolf, her protectiveness over her charge, and her intelligent eyes. "She's dead…?"

"Yeah. It's a shame—she would have loved to see you again! She told me 'bout how you left and all and wanted to stick around in case you came back!" He was still smiling, talking cheerfully as if her death was nothing major.

Lost, Eve could only say, "I would have loved to see her again, too…"

He was still smiling, so what could she do? She did not know how to deal with others' grief, and calling him out on it did not seem fair. Everyone had secrets and hidden feelings. It would not be right of her to ask him to share his without giving anything in return. It would not be just.

Still…

"So you got revenge for her?"

Henry's head bobbed. "Of course!"

She managed a small smile. "Good." If someone had hurt or killed Kyanos or even her mother or Ilyas, she would have gotten vengeance in any way she could as well. She did not want to ask him about what he did, but she had a feeling it was not pretty. He was capable of advanced dark magic at a young age, after all.

"By the way, I've been wanting to ask for a while now, but is this guy yours?" Henry asked as he stepped closer, walking around Kyanos with some space between them to get a better look at the pegasus's face. "He wasn't around before."

"Oh. My apologies. I haven't introduced you yet, have I?" Eve tugged at Kyanos's reins to have him face Henry properly. "Henry, this is Kyanos. He's been my partner for about three years or so now. Kyanos, this is Henry. He is an old acquaintance."

The dark pegasus stared at the white-haired boy—if Eve thought about it, he looked maybe a year or two younger than herself, though that might have been due to his slight stature. The dark pegasus seemed distinctly unimpressed by the sunny smile Henry sported in return. He snorted, and then turned his head to seemingly preoccupy his attention with something more worthy.

"Nyahaha! I think he likes me!"

Wondering how he got to that conclusion, but unwilling to correct him, Eve nodded absently as she patted Kyanos's neck. "What have you been doing since you got here, then, Henry?"

"Hm? Well, nothin' really. The academy's pretty strict, but otherwise it's boring when I'm not learning more about magic." There was something in his tone that made Eve feel like he was deliberately leaving out information, but he continued on without giving her a chance to question it. "There's a _huuuuge_ library full of magic tomes, though! All the dark magic I could ever want to learn, all in one place! It's awesome!" Then, tilting his head to the side as he regarded Kyanos, he added, "Y'know, he kinda looks like a giant crow."

The comment was so random that Eve could not help but be derailed by it. "Really? I thought of a raven, actually."

"Nah, definitely crow."

Both teenagers stared at Kyanos then, contemplative. His tail swished in return, but otherwise paid them no attention.

A moment later, Eve started, wondering how he had so easily distracted her. "So that's all you've done here?"

Had his eyes been open, she got the feeling he would have blinked at her. "Well, yeah. It's a magic school! Studying and learning is kinda what you're _supposed _to do there."

"Ah…"

He snickered. "You're pretty weird, you know that?"

She didn't say it, but she felt vaguely insulted.

Content to move the conversation along, Henry hummed. "So what about you? You just up and disappeared! Wolfie said that your mom came to get you, which I can understand, but you could've at least said _something_ before you left, you know!"

Again, despite his cheery demeanor and playful tone, Eve got the feeling that he was not completely joking and was actually rather serious in his admonishment. She hung her head in a pseudo-bow. "I apologize. I had my reasons for doing so, but all the same it was not fair to you."

"Ya got that right! But that's okay. We got to meet again now, yeah?" He seemed so genuinely happy that she could not help but smile back at him. "Are you sticking around this time or…?"

Her head dropped again. She had never felt guilt at leaving an area before. Disappointment, yes, and that had been with Henry, too. But never guilt. "No… my mother and I will be traveling for a long while yet. We're only here for a day at most."

"Aw…" His smile disappeared as he pouted, but it quickly reappeared. "Well, okay! If that's the case we'll just have to do fun stuff today. Why don't I show you around town? I know a _ton_ of good spots to visit!"

Eve hesitated. She was not willing to go walking around in the heat, especially with her helmet on, but he seemed so eager to spend time together… "All right. But on one condition."

Henry perked up, curiosity evident in his attentive stance. He was all but bouncing on his feet as he waited.

"…Let me borrow your cloak?"

* * *

><p>Though he had been perplexed by the request and later amused ("Are you trying to copy dark mages in a city of dark mages? Weird!"), Henry willingly pulled off his cloak and handed it over to her. He watched as she drew it over her own shoulders and pulled the hood up, his funny little smile never wavering even as he told her she looked odd with the fabric shadowing her face. She told him only that she did not like to be looked at by a lot of people—which was true, in a way. Even with experience of being with others during her pegasus knight training, she was distinctly uneasy on crowded streets. And in Plegia, there was at least one man who knew her face unless her father had killed him as her mother had silenced all the rest who crossed paths with them closely enough to see her.<p>

Needless to say, she was still very paranoid at being recognized.

When his cloak was secure around her, hiding her face and hair neatly enough to escape a glance or two but not enough to generate suspicion, the two teenagers wandered back through the streets Eve had first gone through to plunge back into the market square. She made sure to follow him closely, which wasn't too much of a feat since his white hair was very noticeable in a veritable sea of dark cloaks, with Kyanos following suit even with a light hold on his reins. While she felt uncomfortable standing close to anyone that was not her mother, his familiarity made him somewhat safer than anyone else. That was not to say that she would not strike him down should he suddenly try to turn her in to the Grimleal, but still.

Thankfully, true to his word Henry only dragged her throughout the town's bazaar, stopping by numerous stalls and shops that struck his fancy. The majority were places related to magic as a result, but Eve did not mind. She was more magic-oriented herself, after all, though she wasn't formally trained as such.

"I think it's interesting," Henry declared when she told him so, after he asked if she was bored of visiting said magic shops.

"What's interesting?" she asked in return, looking up from her perusal of an elwind tome.

"I dunno, just you becoming a… what're you guys called again?"

Eve's eyes slanted to Kyanos, who was waiting patiently just outside the store and gathering many a look from passersby. "'Dark Flier', I believe the official term is…" She closed the tome and delicately placed it back on the shelf. "I'm still more of a pegasus knight than one of them, though. I can't use my magic really effectively in battle yet." Perhaps if she was staying still or simply gliding forward, but not with the more complicated flight patterns. She ended up relying on her lance more often than not.

"Still! Just having one of those guys must be _amazing_!" Unlike her, he closed the heavy arcfire tome he was holding with a loud slam. A curious expression took his face and he leaned towards her so suddenly that she nearly bent over backwards to keep from touching him. "By the way, is it true that only girls can become pegasus knights?"

Straightening herself as smoothly as she could, Eve thought. "…As far as I know, yes."

Henry groaned. "Aw, man! That's so unfair!"

"Why not consider wyvern riding? They're more readily available here in Plegia, anyway."

"But they don't like magic much…"

He continued to pout exaggeratedly, much to her amusement. "I suppose you're out of luck, then. But if you'd like, if we meet again maybe I can give you a ride on Kyanos sometime."

Even without his eyes open, she could tell he lit up at the suggestion with his overall bearing. He stood straighter and seemed to look at her with excitement. "Really?"

Something in her relaxed in the face of his innocent glee, and she found it in her to send him a small smile in return. "Sure."

And with that, he ran out of the store, arms thrown in the air, whooping. "I get to ride the oversized croooooow!"

Blinking at his sudden exit, Eve turned to the storeowner and bowed slightly in apology for his rowdiness before following after her wayward companion, sighing. "Raven."

* * *

><p>They ended up having a late lunch near the town square, purchasing a small meal from one of the food stalls before poring over the flux tome that Henry bought at one of the shops. He had been disappointed that none of the other cheaper dark tomes were in stock, looking longingly over some of the more advanced kinds before settling. Eve found it quite funny to watch him fawn over the dark magic and accepted his offer to go through it with him despite her dislike of the practice.<p>

"Y'know, I wonder if there's a magic that'll let me summon animals," Henry thought aloud between one page and the next.

Eve raised a brow. "Like what?"

"Crows!" She should have figured. "Wouldn't that be awesome? I bet it'd—" his head whipped towards her, grin especially mischievous, "—_caws_ quite a stir!"

There was a brief pause between them, but his smile never faded.

"…Henry."

If she did not know better, she would say he shifted to make his beaming smile more innocent. "Yes?"

She snorted, bumping his shoulder with her own. "Never mind. Turn the page. I finished reading."

"Already? Wow, you read fast!"

She shook her head, hiding her smile beneath the hood of his cloak.

_Never change_.

* * *

><p>Late afternoon found them on top of a building, having climbed up the various steps and ladders set up along the walls. The height of the building gave them a great view of the town, and Henry took it upon himself to point out different places they had not been able to visit. She was amazed that he knew so much about the large town and told him so, which he explained was due to his occasionally going out with the other students when they had free time. He was naturally gifted at magic as well so he did not need to study as hard, but the teachers were very strict with their schedules.<p>

"Should you be here then?" Eve asked. "You _did_ say that you just left when you felt me close by…"

"It's okay. I might receive a punishment if I'm caught, but there's nothing I haven't gotten before." There was something odd about the way he spoke so casually about it, and there was a stiffness in his shoulders even as he shrugged. Before she could think to ask, however, he turned back to her, smiling as always. "Besides, you're only here for a day, right?"

Troubled by his demeanor, she took a moment to answer. "Less, really."

He nodded. "Exactly. So I don't mind it. You were my very first friend so of course I'd rather be here than there!"

Friend.

She tilted her head. "We're friends?"

And for the first time since they met again, his eyes opened in surprise. They were as gray as she remembered. "Well… yeah!"

He was staring at her, and it felt different from being stared at by other people though she could not explain how. It made her uncomfortable, but she resisted the urge to shift. She supposed it was because his eyes were normally closed that made his open-eyed looks more unnerving. "I… see…"

Henry stared at her for a moment longer, and she was just about to start praying to Naga or whoever would listen to her so long as it wasn't Grima that he would close his eyes when he did so, a funny smile on his lips. "Yep! I was right! You are pretty weird, Eve."

Her brows furrowed. "Then you must be, too, to be my friend."

He snickered. "Guess so!"

* * *

><p>As afternoon bled into evening, the two friends found their way to the town plaza just before the gates to the magic academy. They were balanced on a low wall separating pedestrian pathways from the main, paved road that merchant carts and carriages passed by on, with Eve sitting close to one end while Henry walked steadily from one side to the other. After Eve's discovery that they were friends, they mostly spoke about inane subjects, like Kyanos's favorite food on the road to Henry's worst subject at the academy. She was not used to such things, preferring to keep her silence than talk for the sake of talking, but it felt nice somehow to simply chat with another.<p>

This was how Judith found them, striding up to her daughter with authority and grace. The moment she spotted her, Eve jumped down from her post, prompting Henry to stop his pacing and follow suit.

Judith raised a brow as she eyed the cloak covering her daughter, but shrugged it off. "It's time to go, Eve."

Eve nodded, pulling the cloak from her shoulders and handing it back to Henry. He accepted it, but did not bother to put it back on as he peered curiously up at her mother. Eve took note of it and stood straighter as she turned back to her mother. "Mother, this is Henry. My… friend." Judith bowed her head, which Henry cheerfully returned. "Henry, this is my mother, Judith."

"Hello!" he greeted. "It's nice to meetcha!"

Judith smiled. "The pleasure's mine. Thank you for keeping my daughter company."

"Aw, that was nothin'. It's been a long time so it was fun to hang out together again!"

"'A long time' might be an understatement," Judith murmured, "but that's good to hear. I'm sorry that we have to leave so soon, though."

"No worries!" Henry replied, and Eve saw the exact moment Judith wondered if he ever stopped smiling. "We'll meet again. I guarantee it!"

Her mother seemed at a loss at how to react to his unending cheer, so Eve stepped in. "I think that'd be nice. I did promise to take you on a flight with Kyanos, anyway."

"Right!"

"Right." With a polite bow, Eve tugged her mother away as she motioned for Ilyas and Kyanos to follow them. She waved over her shoulder. "See you, Henry."

"Bye bye!"

Eve gave a huff of laughter at his enthusiastic farewell, watching as he waved wildly at their retreating backs. She turned only when he stopped and made his way back to the academy gates behind him, smiling and in a rather good mood despite her regret at having to leave again.

"Nice boy," Judith commented as they made their way through the streets. She glanced over to her daughter, who stared back in return. "That white hair is familiar. He's the one you were playing with in the forest all those years ago, right? Funny that'd you'd meet him here of all places."

"Yes," was Eve's simple answer. She would elaborate if her mother asked—she learned long ago never to keep anything from her in the case that it turned out to be an important detail later—but would not offer anything without prompting. Henry's sad path to the academy was his own and, now that she knew they were friends, it left a bad taste in her mouth to treat him like any other stranger she met on the road.

Thankfully, her mother did not ask for an explanation, nodding absently. She was silent for a long while, simply ambling along the clearing streets, before saying, "I'm glad, though, that you have at least one good friend like that somewhere." Her lips quirked into a smile. "Even if he _is_ a dark mage-in-training." Then, blinking, she asked, "How'd you two meet, anyway?"

"How…" It took a moment for Eve to recall the exact memory of her and Henry's meeting. While she remembered that they had spent the day together in the forest with Wolfie, some pieces of her memories of that day were degraded and fuzzy or lost completely through time. "Ah. We met a little after you left, actually. He came out and tried to hex me." She paused. "I think that was after I nearly attacked him with my knife, though…?"

She was abruptly startled out of her recollections when her mother laughed. "So you basically tried to _attack_ each other?"

"I almost did," Eve corrected. "He just tried to hex me, but I dispelled it."

Her mother only laughed harder, garnering a few looks from the other stragglers on the road. "Oh, you _would_ make a friend like that, Eve, wouldn't you?"

"I… suppose so?" Lost, Eve looked to Ilyas and Kyanos as if they would have the answer of how to properly respond to her mother's antics.

Ilyas looked as bored as a pegasus could, likely used to his mistress, while Kyanos snorted and busied himself with grooming his wings.

"_Your problem,"_ she had the feeling he was trying to tell her.

She sighed. "Mother…"

Judith waved. "Okay, okay, I'm done. But really, now…" She chuckled. "You just can't do anything normally, can you?"

Recalling Henry's words, Eve deadpanned. "You think I'm weird, too, don't you?"

"Of course!" was her mother's happy reply. "But it's all right, dear. Normalcy is nice, but highly overrated."

And despite their lives being full of highly unusual circumstances and events, where "normal" could be seen as something more of a blessing than boring, Eve had to agree.


	5. The Wings of Despair

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

This is where the dream ends. _**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Five  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Eve could not hear the sounds of fighting anymore.<p>

Just as the darkness of night swallowed up all of her surroundings, the desert plains consumed the echoing music of carnage and mayhem until there was nothing left. All that existed at that moment was her, Kyanos, a half-dead wyvern, and its rider.

The wind rushed over her, biting and harsh, but she could not feel the chill over the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"Who…" she began, only for her voice to fail her. She swallowed.

The cloaked figure standing before her seemed amused at her speechlessness.

Cold dread seeped its way down her spine. "W-Who are you…? _What_ are you?"

For a moment, she thought that the other person would not answer and that this encounter would end, however it would end, without her knowing their name or face. But then, with a voice that sent chills throughout her body, the person laughed.

It sounded fake.

It sounded wrong.

It sounded…

…familiar…

"That _is_ the question, isn't it?" the person—a woman, by the sound of the voice—drawled, voice dripping with sweet poison. "Come now… look at my face. Look at it closely, now." She reached up, very slowly, to remove the hood that kept her countenance in shadow.

And although Eve's instincts all screamed at her, she could not look away.

The hood fell and, for the first time in her twenty-two years of life, Eve felt as though she wanted to die.

* * *

><p>The day had started out normally.<p>

They had spent the night in the home of one of her mother's many contacts. Although Eve had been viewed as an adult for many years now, her mother had only deemed her ready to start sitting in on the meetings with them recently. It was Judith's reasoning that she was getting up in years that convinced her—she could no longer fight at her fullest extent and the years of stress had piled up on her. It was only a matter of time that it all caught up with her on the battlefield, so she wanted Eve to be as prepared as possible in the event that Judith was killed.

It was an unpleasant thought for Eve to consider, but she understood. She knew all too well of her own mortality. How could she not, when she was born to die for a "higher power"?

"You don't have to maintain it if you don't want to," Judith told her when they hit the road once more, guiding their pegasi to walk along the ground than taking to the air. "My spy network, I mean. It mainly consists of favors I've called in, so it's not like they're obligated either. They only stayed on after the first few visits because it became habit, really. Once I die, it can die with me if you'd rather not go through the trouble."

Eve hummed and said nothing, eyes lowered to the road in front of Kyanos.

There was a soft sound like a laugh from beside her. Eve turned to see her mother shaking her head. "You don't have to decide now."

But the sooner she did, the better it would be, wouldn't it?

* * *

><p>Mother and daughter (and pegasi) traveled throughout the day before finally stopping. They were on the western side of Plegia, so thankfully their camp for the night would be on the plains rather than sand. Even more, they'd managed to fly to one of the few copse of trees in the area, a decent ways away from any of the "abandoned" forts, to shelter them as they rested.<p>

After a short dinner, Eve took the first watch of the evening, both to help ease her mother as well as to give herself something to do. All through the day she had been considering and reconsidering her mother's offer to take over her spy network. It had grown considerably over the years and, while focusing on the movements of the Grimleal, began to extend over other parts of Plegia and some remote regions of their neighboring kingdoms as well. If Eve recalled correctly, her mother kept track of the Mad King's plots, as well as minor events in Ylisse, such as when Prince Chrom would go out with his "Shepherds" on expeditions through the countryside to carry out his sister's, the exalt's, orders.

To let such a complex web of information die would be disappointing, but Eve was not sure if she even _could_ maintain it. She never managed to learn how to emulate her mother's professionalism—her polite smile and persuasive words. In anything other than battle, and sometimes not even then, Eve was but a pale imitation of Judith. She had her looks, true, and her tenacious nature if her stubborn will to live were any indication, but outside of that, Eve was sorely inexperienced.

Her thoughts remained indecisive for the rest of her watch, plaguing her until the last moment when Eve woke her mother to take over and attempted to get some sleep as well.

* * *

><p>It was still night when Eve jolted awake, reacting both to her mother's hand on her shoulder as well as the foreboding feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach. Breathing hard, Eve looked wildly around for the danger as her mother barked orders to get up and ready to fly. She leapt to her feet to saddle up, working quickly from years of practice. Kyanos stayed still as she moved, and she could see that he could sense something wrong, too, by the way that his ears were pricked forward, listening.<p>

And then, in the distance, a wyvern shrieked.

Her mother cursed and the next thing Eve knew they were in the air. She turned around to where the cry originated and, squinting in the darkness, saw the distinctive shape of the dragon flying in their direction.

A hooded figure sat on its back.

Grimleal?

Facing forward again, Eve urged Kyanos to fly faster after her mother and Ilyas, hoping to lose their pursuer while the sky was still dark.

If only they could be so lucky.

* * *

><p>The chase continued for hours. Whoever this person was, they were just as cunning and stubborn as the both of them, not only following their every moment perfectly but <em>gaining on them<em> even with only the light of the moon and stars as a guide. Eve could only wonder how they did it, grudgingly admirable, as she could scarcely see what lay in the space ahead of her and Kyanos as they flew through the trees.

That was a risky maneuver in itself, as the branches and trunks of the trees could so easily be struck by the pegasus's wings, but Judith had ordered them to dive into the forest when their pursuer proved to be relentless. Her mother flew overhead, expert flight patterns making every charge she and Ilyas made look like a shooting star in the sky, but to no avail. Whoever was on their tail this time was no amateur—they were as much of a master of the skies on the back of their wyvern as both women were.

"Come on, Kyanos," Eve murmured encouragingly to her dark pegasus. "You can do it. Just a little more."

Her heart was pounding so hard that she could hear her blood roaring in her ears. Flashes of white made her look up to see her mother fighting, but every lance strike was done in vain. Ilyas gave a challenging cry, which was matched by the terrifying shriek of the wyvern.

Who was this person?

The end of the forest was coming up and Eve forced herself to pay attention to that than the battle above. Grasping Kyanos's reins firmly, she leaned forward both to avoid the branches overhead and to hopefully aid his speed as he raced out of the shadows. She slipped out her elwind tome from its holster on the back of her belt, flipping it open.

One heartbeat.

She let out a breath.

Another heartbeat.

Out of the forest and into the open plains, she bade Kyanos to rise to the sky, zooming after her mother and their unknown assailant. Green eyes narrowed against the wind, she released Kyanos's reins to direct a blade of wind at the wyvern.

Unable to defend against both attacks at once, the wyvern shrieked as the spell struck, jostling its rider. They veered towards the ground in a haphazard spiral as the wyvern tried to regain its equilibrium.

Eve felt a grim pleasure at having knocked them down, but they still had a job to finish. Otherwise, all this person would have to do is acquire another wyvern to be after them, and then the chase would begin all over again. She was not sure they could end the next one in the same way. As it was, they had been lucky the attack hit in the first place.

Judith followed first, though Eve was quick to join her. Together, they flew down, weapons at the ready.

On its feet, dagger-like teeth bared menacingly, the wyvern and its rider waited for them.

"You," said Judith when they touched ground. "What is your name? I know all of the Grimleal, or at least their skills, and there is _no one_ with your prowess in riding even amongst the king's forces."

Eve wondered at the logic of speaking with the enemy when Judith would usually dispatch them without a word, but she recognized her mother's tone of voice. She was truly disturbed by this individual and their sudden appearance. Had they truly managed to slip so easily through the cracks of her information network?

Unfortunately, the figure standing opposite of them did not respond, sitting silently on their wyvern's back. It was hard to tell which one of them the person was looking at with their hood drawn over their eyes, but Eve had the niggling feeling that it was her.

She also had the feeling that any act of grandeur she tried to pull, as she had with the assassin years ago and with several other gullible Grimleal since, would not be bought.

Judith readied her lance, Ilyas moving beneath her to prepare for a charge.

The wyvern shrieked, rearing up. Its rider held fast, throwing their arm out to the side. A veritable flame of power unlike any Eve had ever felt before ignited around them, filling the air with malicious intent.

"What the hell…!?" Judith hissed, and Eve's eyes widened when she saw the ground move, shifting as numerous creatures rose as if walking up from the depths of a lake.

They looked like corpses.

For a moment, Eve thought she was dreaming. There was no magic in the world that she knew of that raised the dead in such a manner. So how was this person able to do such a thing with just the wave of their hand? Nothing made sense and Eve could feel her mind break down as she tried to comprehend the situation.

How had things gone so wrong so quickly?

* * *

><p>"<em>Awaken, my heart."<em>

"_Awaken, and all shall be as it should be."  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Eve… Eve…!"<p>

Snapping back to reality (when had she phased out?), Eve looked to her mother. Judith was not looking at her, but there was a hard set to her jaw as she stared at the sudden group of enemies before them.

"I want you and Kyanos to fly away from here," Judith said. Eve had barely enough time to open her mouth to complain when her mother stopped her. "Don't! This… I don't know what the hell this is, but this is not _normal_. I don't know who this person is, but they… they are strong." Her voice lowered to a murmur that Eve had to strain her hear, "Perhaps _too_ strong."

"But Mother—"

"Run."

A bubble of panic made its way to Eve's throat. "Mother, I can fight—"

"I said run!" Judith snapped, finally turning away from staring down the opposition to glare at her. Eve's mouth shut with an audible click of her teeth. "I _know_ you can fight, Eve! But this person… they're on a whole other level than what we've faced so far _and I don't know what else they can do_. And if they're Grimleal, this might end with you being _taken_. Don't you see that!?"

Eve could only stare, speechless, as her mother's eyes filled with tears. She could not remember her mother crying in all her years of living by her side. The effect was stunning.

"We've come too far to give you up now, like this. Now run. You promised me that you would live."

If there were ever a moment that Eve felt her heart break, it was at that moment.

"So _live_."

Eyes stinging, Eve urged Kyanos to launch into the sky.

Behind her, she heard Ilyas scream his challenge as her mother yelled, "Know my will! I will fight until the end!"

* * *

><p>Eve did not get far.<p>

Though she and Kyanos flew faster than they ever had before, the wyvern and its rider caught up with them after a brief scuffle with her mother. Judith shouted in outrage when they slipped past her, but she was unable to pursue them, preoccupied with the unholy army they had summoned from the earth. She could not afford to allow her daughter to be swarmed, so she alone remained behind to return the abominations to their graves in pieces. She could only pray that her daughter could get away in time.

Elwind tome in hand, Eve forced herself to calm as she heard the steady beat of dragon wings looming closer. Beneath her, Kyanos strained to get away, sensing the danger even more keenly than herself.

Gritting her teeth, Eve twisted in her seat and shot a blade of wind back. It was dodged, but the movement cost the wyvern some distance in order to avoid it. Eve nudged Kyanos and, trusting his rider, he swerved through the air, banking right to turn the chase around.

This seemed to catch the wyvern rider off guard, for they stopped in midair in order to track her movements. Taking the opening for what it was, Eve cast another wind spell and watched as it struck. The wyvern screamed, but did not fall. She sent another.

The sensation of magic being cast prickled at her and she grabbed the reins just in time to maneuver Kyanos out of the way of a lightning bolt. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she felt a drop of sweat slide its way down the side of her face. She imagined she looked rather pale at the close call—she had felt the heat of the lightning strike as it swerved past her and knew it could have knocked her down easily.

A thoron tome, if she was not mistaken. Perfect. She had not expected anyone to try casting magic from on top of a wyvern—and truly, the creature looked as rattled as she did when she looked closely. This battle would be much harder than she thought.

* * *

><p>"<em>Why do you resist?"<em>

"_Why do you cling to your mortal life so?"  
><em>

* * *

><p>Kyanos jolted and Eve lost her breath, lurching forward to cling to his neck as he all but threw himself to the side. A large shadow swept by them and Eve nearly jumped when she realized it was the wyvern. Had the other person tried to tackle them?<p>

Mentally scolding herself for losing her head in the middle of a fight, she urged Kyanos to turn so they could keep the wyvern in sight. When she did, she noticed that the wyvern's flight was unsteady. Looking closer, she realized that one of her earlier wind strikes had torn the leathery membrane of its wings. Its rider would have to land soon or risk falling straight out of the sky with the creature and sustaining further damage.

She would just have to ensure they did just that!

"Get closer, Kyanos…!" she muttered to her mount. "We can't miss this next one!"

Kyanos—dear, brave Kyanos—allowed it, zooming straight through the air without a second of hesitation. On his back, Eve straightened and prepared the spell, holding it as she aimed. Green wisps of magic gathered around her fingers, stinging them slightly as if to force her to release it.

She was in range soon enough, but still she urged Kyanos closer.

The hooded person noticed her approach and turned around.

It was only when the wyvern was fully turned and Eve could see what little of the other person's face was exposed by their hood that she thrust her arm forward, brilliant green wind magic shooting out from her fingertips like an arrow. It sang as it rushed forward, the invisible blade cutting straight into the softer scales that covered the wyvern's torso.

They fell, but like an avenging spirit, another bolt of lightning struck upwards in a wild arc, catching Kyanos on one of his wings. He gave a pained cry.

"Kyanos!" Eve tried to shout, but her voice was lost to the wind as they dove uncontrollably down.

* * *

><p>The landing was painful and jarring, and Eve immediately jumped off of Kyanos to lighten his weight as he stood on trembling legs. He let out another pained sound as she looked over him, trying to assess the damage as quickly as she could with danger still close by.<p>

His wing was injured, that much was certain, and there seemed to be a few minor wounds on his body, but nothing was broken. He could still heal and live to fly another day.

Eve refused to sigh in relief. She could not afford to—not when that "another day" could never happen.

She turned, face grim, to see the hooded figure step away from their wyvern. The poor beast was breathing raggedly from the wound she inflicted. She felt rather sorry for it, especially since she had also harmed its wings, but it was necessary in the long run. She had to remind herself of that as she blocked the image from her mind, steeled her resolve, and stared at the figure now standing opposite of her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Awaken, my heart."<em>

"_**Awaken.**__"  
><em>

* * *

><p>The hood fell and, for the first time in her twenty-two years of life, Eve felt as though she wanted to die.<p>

"How…" Her eyes widened and she clutched onto Kyanos in order to not stumble back. "No… That's not possible."

"Greetings," said the woman with her same face. "My name is Reverie… or rather, the original name of this body was Reverie." She chuckled. "The owner of that name is dead. I am the fell dragon, Grima."


	6. The Vow

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

Also do not own the "For Want of a Nail" poem/proverb given in this chapter.

**Other Notes**: This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

To all readers, whether of a reviewing nature or a ghostly one, thank you. I check the views of this story (which are not indicative of whether or not it's actually being _read_, I know, but still) often and just the fact that there are potential readers out there that enjoy this story is enough to keep me writing it. Let's hope my enthusiasm lasts!

Also, sorry for the shortness of this chapter. It irks me, but all the ideas I wanted to get down are here so I ended it where it was rather than continue on and risk disrupting the flow._**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Six  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;<em>

_For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;_

_For want of a horse, the rider was lost;_

_For want of a rider, the message was lost;_

_For want of a message, the battle was lost;_

_For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,_

_And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.  
><em>

* * *

><p>This was not possible.<p>

It couldn't be. She would never…

…would she?

"You're lying," she croaked out, disbelieving. "You're lying. I would never—I would _never_!"

She could not even bring herself to finish the thought. To do so would be to acknowledge it as a possibility and that was something she simply _could not do_.

Her doppelganger merely raised a brow, lips curled into a lazy smile. She lifted an arm to gesture to herself in a pointed manner. "Ah, but you will." And she said it with such certainty that Eve had to force herself to keep from shivering. "Come now, _Reverie_. If you would simply give in… awaken the heart that sleeps inside of you… nothing would be out of our reach."

"You mean _yours_," Eve spat. And she really did. Emotionally "reserved" or not, the topic of Grima and her role in his resurrection always placed her in a foul mood. To be faced with the reality of it, to know that it was not just a psychotic dream of the Grimleal and that it could happen (had happened?), was her worst nightmare. She had to resist raising her hands to cover her ears in an effort to block it all out. "How are you even _here_?"

She was stalling, she knew.

Grima seemed to know this as well, but graciously allowed her to. "One would think that, for such a _benevolent god_ she is purported to be, Naga would keep a better handle on what miracles she has a hand in." He twisted her face into a mocking sneer, ugly in its demented glee. "You see, Reverie, I stand before you now as a traveler from a future yet to pass—all thanks to Naga's _divine_ intervention."

Eve regretted asking her—him?—questions. To be spoken to by someone with her face, her voice, made her skin crawl. Even more since the fell dragon seemed to notice her discomfort, smile widening.

"Yes, lovely, isn't it? I have to say that even I was uncertain of where I would land upon exiting the time stream after following that foolish, blue-haired brat. But here you are, so close by. It must have been fate." Grima lifted his avatar's right hand, staring at the back of it. Eve felt the back of hers burn in response to his careful scrutiny. "Really, I just came to stop her from preventing my revival. But then I had a thought: that damnable Naga and her brood always have such foolish ideas, and with the work of her servants from the future arriving here to tamper with the timeline, why not do some _tampering_ of my own?"

Eve stepped back when his eyes alighted upon her once more.

"After all, you are here, power at its finest if unrefined… Rather than wait for the inevitable, awakening your heart now would render all of their efforts useless!"

There was a pulse in the air and Eve felt her legs buckle beneath her. Kyanos fell, too, but she could scarcely focus on her friend with her breathing labored and her body feeling as though it were being crushed. She gasped for air, but every breath felt as though it were smoke burning her insides.

"Why…" she managed to force out, mind reeling. What had the fell dragon done? "Why… me…? Why… my body…" She sent her doppelganger, her future self's body, a weak glare. "You already… have that one…"

Grima seemed to take on a pitying expression as he looked down upon Eve with her own green eyes. "It must seem strange to hear, does it not? After all, though older, this body is certainly much stronger than your own. It has seen more battles, overcome more hardships… Truly, had _she_ been the one faced with such a flimsy attack, she would have been able to endure it better than you have." He eyed her, unimpressed with the image she must have made, barely able to hold herself upright on her knees. Striding forward, he crouched, resting his chin on his knuckles as he appraised her. "But what she has that you do not are her foolish _bonds_."

The level of acid in Grima's voice—her voice—was enough to make her flinch.

"Her foolish love for her mortal companions and their love for her, although they were long since _dead_ mind you, was enough to keep her fighting my control for years. It was quite vexing and left this body in suboptimal condition." He smirked, almost wryly. "Even my most perfected vessel cannot handle the strain of two forces battling inside it over a long period of time, it seems. Which is unfortunate, true. I would much rather keep this body for its own individual power than have yours, but… how does that mortal saying go? Ah, yes, 'beggars cannot be choosers'." He raised a hand to tug at a strand of her hair, forcing her to look into his—her—eyes. "Not that I'd ever _beg_. Such a thing is beneath me. No, I will simply _take_, even if it means settling for something less than what I deserve."

She wished she had the strength to spit in his face, but it felt as if her energy was being sapped just by being in close proximity to the fell dragon. Instead, she settled for gasping out, "And my weakness… will help you… how…?"

Deceptively gentle, Grima's fingers left her hair to grasp her chin. He eyed her impassively.

And then he smiled.

"Your body is weaker, yes, but truly, all humans pale against the might of my true power. By taking your body, I can recuperate what power I lost more quickly than I could in this failing one and begin my annihilation of all those idiotic worms anew." He was still smiling, and Eve wished he didn't—not while wearing her face. It was terrible and wrong and utterly inhuman, but what scared her the most was how natural it looked upon her countenance. "So really, I am losing nothing by claiming you, as is my right."

Her body screamed at her to flee, but she was already caught, wasn't she? Whether in the future, with the body he currently wore, or right now. She was his, and she was an utter fool to believe that she could be anything else. For what could a mere mortal do to one such as him, a god?

But even then…

Even then…

"Mother," she whispered.

The last thing she saw was Grima reaching up, grasping her head in both hands—and then nothing.

* * *

><p>Darkness. A slow heartbeat.<p>

_Did I… die…?_

Everywhere she looked was unending black. She could not move her body, either, forced to simply float along in the eerie void. She wondered where she was.

_Grima_, she tried to say, but her voice would not cooperate with her. Her thoughts worked just as well, jumbled as they were. _He was there. He had me. Does this mean he's taken over?_

It felt oddly calm—the opposite of what she had expected to feel in the presence of Grima. Or perhaps her mind was too far gone, curled up deep inside itself to protect the last vestiges of her humanity from the fell dragon, to feel him as he took control of her. Was this all she could do now? Wait in oblivion as the world collapsed outside of her with Grima's resurrection, unable to even fight back?

_The other me had done it, hadn't she?_ she thought desperately, trying to move despite the lack of feeling any limbs to move. _So why can't… Oh…_

"_What she has that you do not,"_ Grima had said, _"are her foolish bonds."_

The future Eve, over years and over circumstances Eve had yet to endure, had forged bonds, just as Judith said she would. She had woven ties that kept her tethered to the world, kept her fighting against Grima even when he'd taken her body as his own. The love she held for her friends and companions, which was returned just as fiercely if Grima's words were any indication, had been so strong that she wore her own body out until even the fell dragon felt it compromised.

_What must that feel like_, she wondered blankly, unable to comprehend, _to love and be so loved in return that you can fight off the will of a veritable god?_

She had her mother, certainly, and so she was not as alone as Grima made her out to be. But that was not enough, was it?

Unwilling to give in to the despair that was quickly creeping up on her senses, Eve tried to struggle. Keeping her love for her mother in mind, she fought, imagining herself tied down and desperately trying to be freed.

Something flickered in the distance, lightening the dark world around her for an instant before disappearing again. Hope bloomed and she renewed her efforts, frantically trying to pull away from the black haze, but the flickers never strengthened.

Eventually, the flickering faded altogether.

Exhausted, Eve stopped and stared, thoughts bleak.

_Fate is cruel_, she thought as she allowed herself to sink. All she had to do was close her eyes and sleep. Perhaps a hero would rise to stop her—Grima—in her path, just like the champions of the legends of yore. She prayed they would not hate her if they found out who she was, and that her mother would not hate them for having to slay her. _Naga, if you are listening, guide your warriors well._

And just as she was ready to succumb, sinking into the depths of her own consciousness, the void around her filled with brilliant light.

"I know it feels nice to sleep, but you can't do that just yet," said a voice, striking in its familiarity. But unlike Grima's voice, which was full of his cruelty and hatred boiling beneath the surface, this one was almost kind and tinged with warmth.

Eve opened her eyes—or did the mental equivalent of doing so—to see her face looking down at her. There was a trace of a smile and a glitter of determination in her eyes as she reached down and pulled Eve up.

"Come on," said her future self, "I only have enough energy left for one last fight—let's make it count."

* * *

><p>Let it be known, dear reader, that this is where our story takes its first divergence from the one that you are surely more familiar with.<p>

It starts like this:

In the original timeline that is known and much beloved, Judith would make a crucial decision that would save her time in going after her daughter and Grima. Fighting against the horde of Risen, she would relieve herself of her spare spear, taking a risk in the hopes that it would pierce a distant Risen and leave just another few to get rid of. The attack would hit, freeing up her time to dispatch the rest before zooming after Eve.

This decision would ultimately end in her downfall, as she would reach the two just as Grima was finishing up his speech. Annoyed at the interruption by the lowly mortal, the fell dragon would lash out, leaving a fatal strike upon her person on top of the other wounds she sustained by fighting the Risen. Judith would die with the knowledge that Grima had her daughter in his grasp with no way to help. Eve, on the other hand, would be forced to watch her mother, and Ilyas, whom Grima would attack right after to silence his neighing, die.

Coupled with Grima's earlier words accusing her of being alone, she would succumb easily to the darkness when he finally invaded her mind.

This would, of course, fail, as Eve's Heart of Grima was nowhere near capable of withstanding Grima's memories enough for him to gain control. Her mind would shatter, casting him out into his old body to retreat and recover the great amount of energy he had lost in the process. She would later wake in the carnage and, memories lost, amble her way across the Ylissean border before collapsing in a field from exhaustion.

However, none of this would occur in this timeline. All because of a single choice.

Because, you see, reader, even split-second decisions made in the heat of battle can lead to very different outcomes. But you must already be well-acquainted with that feeling, yes?

At any rate, in this timeline, the decision Judith decided upon lost her time. Her fight against the Risen was prolonged, and she was unable to go after her daughter and Grima before the fell dragon invaded Eve's mind. Eve was spared the sight of watching her mother die, allowing her to cling to the small hope that she was not truly alone for a moment longer.

This hope would reach, far across the distance of her mind, deep into the subconscious of Grima's mind, where the future Eve was sleeping. Because, despite the fell dragon's words, her future self was _not_ dead. Exhausted, perhaps, and soul weary, but not dead. She'd been fighting for far too long, after all, to simply give in. No, she vowed she would hold on to her life energy as long as she could until she could see Grima defeated.

With the plight of the present Eve calling out to her, on the verge of submitting, she would awaken.

And she would have her chance to finally take the fell dragon down, she knew. Who better to help her than herself?

Fate can be very cruel. But, at least, she is fair.

* * *

><p>Eve grasped onto the spiritual construct that was her future self, reveling in the knowledge that, in one future, this was who she became. This shining woman whose very spirit radiated warmth, whose presence washed over her like a protective cloak. Was this the result of the bonds that Grima claimed her to have? That Judith said would guide her to true strength?<p>

As if sensing her thoughts, the future Eve smiled, very faintly. It was still nowhere near the kind of reassuring smile Judith wore, but it was more than the pale imitation that Eve could do now. "Don't worry," she said, "one day, you will acquire such bonds, too. I'm sure of it. But you have to _fight_ for it right here. Right now."

Around them, the darkness was moving swiftly in again.

"Live up to the name that you and Mother decided on and fight."

"_If I remember correctly, Eve means 'living'…"_

"Fight with everything you have, everything you are."

"_Yes, I think that will be a great name for you. Prove to the man that sired you that you are no vessel meant to die for one group's selfish goals."_

"If you do so, I will give everything I have in return to ensure you succeed."

"_Prove to all of them that you are more than the unfortunate name I gave you—that you will not disappear like a fleeting dream or thought, but _live_, truly and vibrantly."_

"Together, we can fight it. Fight _him_." The future Eve's gaze was silent and yet so strong. Eve marveled again at this woman's survival, if only in spirit, against the fell dragon's might. "Will you fight?"

"_You promised me that you would live."_

"Yes," Eve said. If she could, she would have trembled at the fear and determination that coursed through her all at once.

"_So __**live**__."_

"I will."


	7. Will to Fight

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

Also, not sure if this should really be relevant, but thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave a review or two for this story or send me a PM regarding it. I like seeing that people are reading this, true, but even more I am always glad to have constructive criticism as well as opinions as to what worked or didn't work. I would like to encourage this to continue, as my writing cannot improve without it. Even if you're just nitpicking, feel free to drop a line by! I like knowing you're there as much as I like knowing what writing elements to invoke or avoid!

(Granted, I cannot cater to everyone's tastes while accommodating my own style so I apologize if it will seem like I'm ignoring your advice in the long run. I honestly do take it into account, though.)_**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Seven  
><strong>

* * *

><p>The moment Eve took Reverie's—and that was what she planned to call her future self at least for now—hands and gave her vow to fight, the tendrils of dark mixed with the light around them vanished in a swirl of color. It swept around them with such dizzying speed that, when it settled, left her standing, disoriented, in the middle of a snow-covered wood.<p>

"Ferox," Reverie said, a slight frown on her lips as she peered at their surroundings. "Close to one of the border forts, if I'm not mistaken."

Eve had never been to such a place—both she and her mother had avoided traveling to the colder regions of the northern country due to being unable to stand the weather for long periods of time. The setting around them now could only have been drawn from Reverie's own memories, which both surprised and unsettled Eve. Was her mind so fractured as to be so easily influenced by forces other than her own? Or did it register Reverie as herself and adjust accordingly? "But why are we—"

She was cut off when something massive blocked out the sky overhead, casting them in shadow. Tilting her head back to see what it was, Eve gasped.

The body of a giant black dragon was flying over the forest, its body eclipsing the cloudy sky. It took several long moments for it to pass, tail sweeping in a lethal arc over the canopy.

"Grima," Reverie concluded grimly. "He is searching for us. Or rather, searching for you." She looked down at her counterpart, expression devoid of emotion. "He's gone through a lot of trouble before because I refused to give in. I doubt he'll give you any rest as a result. Not until he's snuffed your consciousness out entirely."

"He would go so far?" Eve asked somewhat doubtfully. She did not think the fell dragon would find her all that troublesome, given how easily she was defeated earlier.

Had it been a lighter situation, she had the feeling Reverie would have shrugged. "As I said, I gave him a rough time. Early on, I managed to regain control of my body, if only fleetingly, over a long period of time before I finally wore myself out. I lost the battle, but in the war for my body I had a noticeable victory in hindering my body's functions irreparably. He won't compromise your body to the same fate by being so arrogant as to not consider a similar will to live in you."

"But then… what can we do?" Eve asked, troubled. "Even if it is the two of us, can we really fight, much less win, against him?"

Reverie considered her with careful eyes. She seemed to look straight through Eve to her deepest fears, which was understandable given that they were the same person.

That did not make it any less unsettling, being so utterly transparent.

"Grima thrives on fear," her older counterpart said finally. No fanfare, no dramatics. Just truth. "He plunged the world I came from into eternal darkness and hunted all who opposed him to extinction, picking them off after toying around with them until they were nothing but paranoid messes. Those with stronger wills, he broke with cruel efficiency by destroying all they held dear." There was a strange inflection in her voice as she said this, but Eve did not call her out on it for fear of learning the truth behind her haunted eyes. "Do not let him trick you into thinking him a god and fearing his power. If you do that, you have already lost before ever engaging in battle." Her mouth pressed into a grim line. "You must always remember that there is no such thing as an infallible being—not Naga, and certainly not Grima. We _can_ fight him."

Eve wanted to believe her. Wanted to so desperately that she forced the fear of becoming a monster down with a deep exhalation of breath. "…Then what do we do?"

Something like approval glimmered in Reverie's eyes. She looked out at the snowy landscape around her, arm extending in a grand gesture. "All of this is from my memory, but this is ultimately _your_ mind. Grima may have power, but do not underestimate the advantage of waging war on a landscape made to cater to your whims." Her voice was hard with experience and Eve felt a thrill run through her at her confidence. "He will do everything in his power to break you and make you bend your mind to his will. Do not let him."

Eve nodded and, facing forward, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She would have to alter the landscape to something more familiar to her, but she also needed something else. And if there were ever something she needed for battle, it would be…

A familiar weight formed in her hand and she reflexively adjusted her grip to stabilize it. When she opened her eyes again, the sight of her mother's lance greeted her. Beside her, she watched as a green tome settled itself in Reverie's arms, the image of what seemed to be a gold-embossed shining star on its cover.

"Ready?" her counterpart asked.

The forest melted around them, but Eve's mind quickly stepped in, constructing the image of wide open plains in its place. A fortress sprung up beneath and around them—little more than a nuisance in reality to Grima's bulk, but a protective barrier in this mental world.

Grima roared, his many eyes setting upon them immediately.

With the spear that had protected her for as long as she could remember at her side, Eve willed herself to stand strong against the shockwaves of his attempts to gain full control. Shadows that threatened to creep upon the corners of her makeshift battlefield were obliterated, dissolving into dust.

"I will not give in," Eve vowed. To herself. To Reverie. To her mother.

To the kind man who led the merchant caravan who taught her how to haggle. To the pegasus knight sisters she made while training to become one of them. To the assassin whom she learned died, unwavering in his faith in her, and the family he left behind. To Henry, her first friend.

Most were shallow bonds at best, nothing like the intimate comradery that fell over Reverie like a cloak.

But for them, she would not give in and forfeit their world, their lives, to Grima.

Grima roared once more, and his call brought forth the apparitions of undead creatures that rushed through the fields, weapons raised and uttering calls of death.

Reverie steadied her, murmuring soft assurances.

Together, they leapt over the walls of the fortress and landed on the ground, unharmed in the dreamscape. Together, they met the imaginary undead army and broke them like waves upon rocks. Together, victims of Grima, they stood, defiant, in the face of his rage.

"**You!"** he seethed, draconic body crossing the field in seconds. It tore and crumbled beneath him until he towered over the fortress, which remained standing strong before his might. **"Why do you never **_**die**_**!? Why do you always **_**interfere**_**!?"**

Reverie glared up at him, as if glaring at a being hailed as a deity were commonplace for her. "Come now, _Grima_," she spat, "didn't I tell you? You might be able to take my body, but as long as my soul still exists, I will fight you at every chance I get along the way. You will _never_ take me fully. I refuse."

"**You've nothing left!"** he bellowed. Minute cracks made their way across the landscape at the force of his voice, not as noticeable on the grassy plains as they were against the blue sky. **"Neither of you! Give in! Submit to me! There is no hope for you to cling to once you are in here or have the past years not taught you that!? You fight in vain!"**

"Maybe it was before," Reverie conceded bitterly. "Before, you took over me at full strength, utilizing my own power afterwards to tear apart the last of what I held dear. Anything and everything else you corrupted for your own selfish goals. I fought and had little to show of it other than slowing you down, barely."

"**Then you understand,"** Grima snarled. His head reared back, maw opening. A rush of black spears jutted out of the ground in a line towards them, looking every bit dangerous and lethal.

Eve flinched even as Reverie grabbed her arm to prevent her from jumping away. The spears shattered against a barrier that shimmered upon contact before falling invisible once more.

That explained why Grima was unable to move any closer.

"**Fools!" **he howled when his attack failed.

"No," Reverie said. "_You're _the fool. Do you really think Naga would not have taken your following Lucina into the past into consideration? She must have _known_ you would try it! Why do you think you're so weak now, after falling through?"

"**As if she could best me!"**

"She already has!" Reverie shouted back and Eve was pulled behind her. She felt like a child in the middle of an adult's dispute, lost and confused and yet so terribly understanding all at once. "You claim to be a god, but you fell into a trap! _You_ are the _fool_!"

"**You **_**dare**_** belittle **_**me**_**, human!?"**

Grima's rage built, and the world fractured around them.

* * *

><p><em>Reverie's memories were full of darkness, Eve realized.<em>

_At least, the most recent memories were._

_Some days, it appeared that Reverie regained consciousness behind Grima's mind, watching him as he destroyed the world with her hands. Eve watched through her eyes as the grotesque beings that attacked her and her mother earlier rose at his command, razing villages and killing people without mercy._

_Even the Grimleal were not spared._

_Grima gave them a swift death, before the brunt of the chaos and carnage started, as payment for their faith to him. But they still died in the end._

_Distantly, Eve watched these memories as they flitted over her mind in quick flashes of light. Her heart broke as she saw the world collapse piece by piece, but she was unable to look away._

* * *

><p>Steeling her resolve, Eve willed her mind to withstand the attack before putting the shattered landscape back together again like a puzzle.<p>

Grima's wings flared, all six of them, threatening to block out the artificial sky. **"I am done with this conversation,"** he growled. **"**_**Submit!**_**"**

Eve readied her lance, prepared to do no such thing, just as Reverie opened her tome. They did not so much as glance at one another to know that the other was ready.

Wordlessly, Eve jumped up, imagining Kyanos's wings propelling her high into the sky as she rounded Grima's neck. She thrust her mother's lance forward against his scales, digging the blade in deep when she found a gap beneath one as it layered over another. Using the momentum of her descent, she flipped her body around, dragging the lance the entire way until another scale dislodged the weapon. She fell to the other side just as a whirlwind briefly engulfed the dragon before bursting violently.

Grima snarled, rising to his feet, tail lashing as he tried to keep track of them both. Such tiny creatures they were against him, and yet so annoying.

Recalling Reverie's words about the world reacting to her whims, Eve focused on changing their surroundings again. Using the fortress as a focal point, a forest once more sprouted around them, concealing both her and Reverie from immediate sight.

The fell dragon swiped and breathed death, but any trees he knocked down returned before long. His anger was immense as he set about to tearing apart the fake world, but Reverie's words rang true.

He was weakened.

The time-travel had done its job, as even he admitted, but Eve had a feeling this attempt to subdue her had taken its toll as well. Perfect vessel or not, this battle of wills in her mindscape _drained_ him as he tried to impose his will upon her only to be violently rejected.

Reverie was, once again, right.

Combining their wills, the two incarnations of Grima's vessel could fight against the fell dragon in this weakened state of his. Even more, there was a high chance that they could even _win_.

"You _are_ a fool," Eve murmured as she leapt out from the safety of the trees before him. His eyes burned angrily at her and she felt a spike of fear as she saw her reflection, but it was no longer crippling. She no longer felt the hopeless desperation she had when she thought him invincible. "You should have stayed in your future, and finished your torment there."

He hissed at her, swatting her away like a fly. She flipped away from him, lance disappearing as she summoned a magic tome of her own.

"If you had," she continued as she landed, "you could have taken over and destroyed the world, just as you planned. But here, you weakened yourself by traveling back in time through a portal set up by your greatest enemy."

Twin blades of wind approached him from two different directions, followed by another set in quick succession. The force was not enough to knock him over, but he gave a very noticeable step back at the assault.

"And then you decided to try and take over my body, further crippling yourself because you believed me to be weaker-willed than my future self. You never even took it into account that she was still alive, sleeping, and that, by bringing the battle to my mind, you would allow us to meet."

Eve was not sure what Reverie was doing, hidden by the trees, as she spoke, but she would not let it stop her from giving Grima what he deserved for his hubris.

"No matter the outcome, I refuse to accept you!" she shouted. "I will _never_ submit!"

A bright light emitted from the opposite side of Grima, and the world shattered once more.

* * *

><p><em>For a moment, Eve wondered if the only memories that Reverie had now were those pertaining to the world's grim future. She did not blame her, but she could not help but feel that it would be rather sad if her future self could remember only grief and misery.<em>

_But, just as she thought that, she found that beyond the cold uncertainty of living behind Grima's eyes was a distant warmth. Like the feeling of a shining sun on a cold winter day._

_Not wishing to intrude, Eve let the memories pass her by as fleeting images, watching as the snippets of the bleak future gave way to pictures of a much gentler scene._

_The images were blurry, corroded by time, but the feeling behind them was unmistakable. These were the memories of the friends Reverie had clung to, whom she loved so dearly that they stabilized her existence even deep within Grima's mind. When any other would have given in, she held on for their sakes, doing all that she could to even just hopefully slow the fell dragon down._

_Even when news of their deaths reached her, or she watched them die either from a distance or by her own hands, she held on to their memories. She had to, in the hopes that, should another hero rise up, she could aid them somehow from within._

_It was a powerful feeling, this friendship. This love._

_Eve wanted to know it more.  
><em>

* * *

><p>In the solid white world, Grima's imposing figure seemed diminished somehow. That, coupled with the lines of the ancient, arcane language encasing him, made him appear much smaller than he had with the image of land below him and the sky above.<p>

Reverie appeared at Eve's side without a sound, arms held out to maintain whatever spell she had done to capture him. Beads of sweat made their way down her face at the effort as he thrashed about, cursing them for their audacity, but she managed a small smirk when Eve looked at her, stunned. "I'm going on instinct here," she said with difficulty. "Try to imagine a cage around him."

Eve tried, but the fell dragon lashed out his tail and broke it before it could form even partway around him. She winced, but the pained look on Reverie's face made her try again.

This time, instead of a cage that her traitorous mind whispered was too weak to hold him, she imagined a sphere. Like a flower reversing from blooming to budding, the pure void floor beneath Grima segmented, stretching outwards and upwards to meet above his body. She envisioned the spell Reverie cast engraving itself on the outside of the petal-like walls, reinforcing whatever confinement her counterpart created.

Grima struck out again, but the walls held strong as they steadily closed over the fell dragon's body.

"**Impossible!"** he roared. **"No! This cannot be! Damn you, what have you done!?"**

Reverie was panting, but when Eve chanced a look her way, she ordered, "Don't pay attention to me! Just focus on sealing him away!"

The very thought nearly broke Eve's concentration anyway. _Sealing…!?_

Reverie groaned. "Focus!" she snapped.

Heart pounding, Eve could do nothing except comply. Mirroring her older counterpart, she raised her arms, miming the act of molding something together in her hands. The spherical prison she erected around Grima closed swiftly, snagging only when the fell dragon tried once more to force it off of him.

His wings strained against the rounded walls and he was snarling more like a feral, wild animal than a sentient dragon. The magic of Reverie's spell crackled, the ancient letters gleaming against the stress.

"Close it!" Reverie yelled, voice reflecting her pain.

Gathering what strength she could, Eve slammed her hands together.

The great orb closed, silencing Grima's screams. It glowed brightly, the arcane verses multiplying across the smooth surface of the sphere, before darkening. The words did not fade out completely, however, instead rhythmically brightening and dimming like a visual heartbeat.

It took several moments of tense observation for Eve to realize with a start that it was in time with her own.

She had no time to point it out, however, when Reverie collapsed.

"It's all right," Reverie said when Eve reached out to steady her. She lifted her arms to study her hands, which were trembling. She managed a tired smile. "That appears… to be all I had left…"

Confused, Eve was about to question her meaning when she realized that the other was turning transparent. Shock flooded through her system. "You're dying."

Reverie said nothing, but her acceptance was clear through her silence. Her eyes drifted to the quiet, floating sphere. "It is all right. It was for a good cause. I am glad… that I could at least help in sealing him away." She turned to Eve. "With your will and the last of my life force engraved in that shield, it should prove to be an unbreakable prison."

Should. But it was not guaranteed.

Eve pointed this out aloud.

"No, it isn't," Reverie agreed. "While I do not doubt… the strength of our combined magic keeping him at bay… it will ultimately be up to you… to keep him sealed." Her breathing was labored. Already Eve could see more of the white void behind her than her actual self. "I have faith… that you will do just fine…"

It was a terrifying responsibility. One little slip and Eve could unleash, as Reverie's blurry memories could attest, the end of the world.

Reverie seemed to sense her thoughts, smiling wryly. She reached up to place her hand on Eve's cheek. Neither pointed out the futility of the action, as Eve could not feel it and Reverie could see her hand go through her like a ghost. "I am sorry that I have given you such a burden," she said, voice as full of regret and pain as her eyes were. "If I had more time to think of another solution… I would not have sealed Grima like this inside of you…"

Eve shook her head as Reverie let her hand fall away. Though her heart felt small and trembling with fear, she would not take the apology. "It's not your fault," she said, steadfastly ignoring the way her voice shook. "You only did what you could. It was the best possible solution at the time and I know that you would've done anything else if you could have thought of it." She tried to smile. She knew that she failed, but she kept trying anyways to ease her future self's worries as she faded away. "I know that that is what I would have done, at any rate."

Reverie laughed, but it was cut off as she grimaced in pain.

Eve looked over her, troubled. "…Is there nothing I can do to save you?"

"No…" Reverie shook her head, closing her eyes as she lay back. "But it is fine. I've been waiting to die for a long time now… I am only relieved that I can do so, knowing that you and all the others have a chance now at a brighter future."

Eve thought back to the brief impressions of memories she received from the older woman. There was nothing clear in detail—the memories themselves were too tainted by time and Grima's torment. She could possibly gain a better picture of the events if she asked, but she knew that if she did she risked becoming too preoccupied with worrying of the future events. It would become all too easy for her to lose track of the present, which could prove fatal in the long run.

She shook her head as if to clear it. "I will… do my best to live up to your expectations."

Reverie smiled. "As self-serving as it may sound, I am confident that you will surpass them."

And so, Eve watched as, with that last, peaceful smile on her face, Reverie released one final breath and the bright, white world faded out around her.

* * *

><p>When she awoke to Kyanos's worried snuffles as he nudged her form with his nose, Eve slowly sat up. She patted Kyanos as she looked around, finding her future self's body lying beside her.<p>

She was smiling there, too.


	8. A Place to Belong

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

Friendly reminder that although some elements of the plot will be the same, there will be some differences (as if you didn't already catch that with the whole "sealing Grima" scene last chapter). The order of events will essentially be the same, but some things might be switched around slightly—especially in regards to character recruiting. The big changes won't really kick in until _at least_ the in-game Chapter 11 or around the peacetime between that chapter and the next. Valm itself probably won't see much change though, for that matter. I think. Other than character interaction and the like, of course.

Also, hello, Mister Ylissean Prince. And princess. And knight. Good of you to join us._**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Eight  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Eve ached, body and soul.<p>

A part of her wanted nothing more than to stay still, recover, and hopefully make sense of the last few hours. An even greater part knew that she could not, that she had to find her mother, had to bring her future self's body somewhere to be buried and given the respect she deserved.

Taking in a deep breath, Eve stood. Kyanos nickered, standing close so she could hold on to him and steady herself. She was grateful for his presence, clutching onto him as though he were her lifeline before letting go and looking over him closely again for injuries. Grima's attack had done a number on them both, after all, and she had blacked out before she could see her friend's condition.

Thankfully, the dark pegasus did not seem worse for the wear. His wing was still injured, but it appeared to be mostly superficial. He could still spread it at her command when she wished to see the extent of the damage, though it was obvious it caused him some discomfort to do so by the way he shifted around like a skittish colt. Apologizing for the pain, Eve let him tuck his wing in again, brushing her fingers against his feathers gently. She willed it to heal swiftly, both for her sake and his.

With nothing left to do about it than give it time, Eve turned to her counterpart's still body and, delicately, lifted it. It was very light, disconcertingly so, but at least she did not have to worry about needing help placing her body on Kyanos's back. Kyanos, on his part, seemed nervous about letting the one that attacked them near, even if she were dead, but a soft reprimand from Eve calmed him down. He still snorted as she secured her future self's body so it would not fall, but did not rear up or buck her off, at least.

As she walked around to take Kyanos's reins and begin leading him, on foot, Eve spared her fallen counterpart's face another look.

"I am sorry for your pain," Eve whispered, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. "I will do everything I can to ensure that the future you came from does not come to pass."

She only hoped that she was equal to the task.

* * *

><p>The path to where she had last seen her mother took a long time by foot, which was understandable. When she had escaped, Eve was on Kyanos's back, flying at full speed to outrun the wyvern. Unfortunately, this meant that she was also not paying much attention to where she was going, so she had to pause once or twice along the way to figure out where she was, exactly.<p>

Kyanos made a low sound in his throat during one such stop. Eve gently swatted his side.

"Don't laugh," she said severely. "This is a very serious matter and you're ruining my concentration."

He snorted, tossed his head, but quieted all the same. Eve felt affection bloom, fond as ever of her dear companion. She resolved to get him a treat of some kind once they met up with her mother and settled her older self in a nice meadow somewhere. Perhaps a few apples. For him and Ilyas, really. Gods knew they both deserved it for their unflinching bravery in these last few battles.

Decision made and feeling significantly lighter since reawakening with Grima locked inside her, Eve picked up the trail once more and began to walk, Kyanos following dutifully behind her.

* * *

><p>The light feeling did not last long.<p>

After half an hour of nonstop walking, Eve finally began to see traces of the fight she left behind. Namely, she saw a corpse that was once again dead (or so she hoped) lying on the dirt path, a rusty axe lying some distance away. She approached the figure cautiously, making sure to grab her lance from where it had been strapped to Kyanos's side, forgotten for the earlier aerial battle. When she was close enough, she prodded it with the tip of the blade.

It remained still.

Sighing in relief, Eve hefted the weapon up and, figuring it was best to be safe, forced it down again. The neck neatly sliced apart, much to her disgust, and the head rolled slightly without anything to keep it stable. She was tempted to kick it for its role in the horrific night, but knew she had more pressing matters to attend to. So, she continued on, beckoning Kyanos to follow her.

More bodies greeted them along the way, and with every corpse they found Eve worried more for her mother's health. She had not been paying attention, too lost in her own panic at the escalating madness, but she could recall that the summoned group had been large. Grima had not wanted any chance of interruption, but Judith was skilled enough to handle herself on her own.

The scales could tip in either direction, really, and that was what worried Eve most.

_Please_, she prayed fervently as she picked up her pace. _Please, Naga, gods, anyone: don't take her away from me, too._

Heart pounding, Eve was only vaguely aware of the rising sun in the distance, lightening up the desert landscape. Only they were not so much in the desert now, were they? If her instincts were correct, they were very near Plegia's border with Ylisse judging by the growth of the foliage and wasn't that something? Just through the forest there and around the mountain pass they could walk into the peaceful halidom without any worries now and—_where was her mother?_

A flash of white caught her attention through a distant set of trees. Breath caught in her throat, Eve ran, dropping Kyanos's reins.

"Ilyas! Mother!" she called as she crossed the distance.

There was no answer.

Her mind was already in denial, chanting _no, no, no, no_ over and over again as she neared. "Mother… Ilyas…?"

She stopped as she rounded the trees. It was Ilyas.

He was dead.

—_no, no, no, no, no, no—_

Eve delved further into the small wood, passing by numerous other corpses. The archers she found, whose arrows had surely been the ones stuck in Ilyas's hide and wings, she kicked, ignoring the pain it brought to her feet. But even then she did not stop, intent on finding her mother. She was just as adept fighting on foot as on Ilyas's back. Perhaps she had been forced to abandon him when he went down, loathe as she was to leave him, and made it to safety further away.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

There was a small clearing ahead, at the entrance of which was another corpse of a warrior. Eve ignored it as she went on.

She stopped only when she reached the center of the clearing, staring down at the two figures lying prone some feet away from one another.

One was a creature that looked like a man but unlike the other undead she'd seen on the way. His body was bare and well-muscled, but he looked barbaric with his wild mane of hair and grotesque mask covering his face. Her mother's lance pinned him to the ground, pierced straight through his chest.

The other figure was her mother.

* * *

><p>Eve did not know how long she stood in the clearing, or when she sank to her knees beside her mother's body, or even when Kyanos caught up with her. All she knew was that her mother was dead, Ilyas was dead, and Grima was sealed away inside of her with only her willpower apparently keeping him back.<p>

The sun had fully risen by the time she started coming back to herself, back to reality. Slowly, she tore her gaze away from her mother's battered body to look at the sky above her. It was a clear, perfect morning blue, and she knew, logically, that it was going to be a warm day. And yet, she felt so cold.

It should have worried her. She may have had difficulties expressing emotion, as her mother chided her for time and time again, but she had never felt this numb. It was as though her heart had frozen over, retreating into itself and stopping time for a while until things began to make sense again. Even her earlier aches over the death of her counterpart could not reach her now. It was just one death amongst many that day.

It should have worried her.

She could not bring herself to care.

Mechanically, Eve stood and, after looking over her mother one last time, picked her up to secure her to Kyanos's back as well. She set her right next to the future Eve—how strange, although Eve was still alive, mother and daughter still died together that day—and gently strapped her in, caring little for the blood that got on her hands in the process. After a moment of thought, staring at the two faces, Eve reached for one of Kyanos's packs and pulled out a blanket, hiding their bodies from immediate sight.

When they were both settled, Eve turned and yanked her mother's lance from her final opponent's chest. She took the time to wipe the blood off of it, noting its dark color against the cloth she pulled out, before strapping it beside her own at Kyanos's side. Finally, guiding Kyanos once again, she made her way out the way they came. She ignored the corpses as they passed by, barely noticing if she accidentally stepped on one or two. Kyanos seemed disturbed by them, their smell, their stillness, but Eve kept him calm by petting his side and crooning at him.

They reached Ilyas's body and Eve crouched, wondering what she could do. She could not lift him and Kyanos could not carry him, but she would not leave him to be buzzard food if she could help it. She loved him too dearly to let that happen.

She busied herself as she thought by tugging out the arrows still stuck in his body. When that was finished, she straightened his wings and combed her fingers through the knots in his mane. It was only when she was finished grooming him that she remembered a corpse that looked to be dressed in mage's robes left lying somewhere behind them.

Standing, she ordered Kyanos to stay put before backtracking, scanning the bodies along the way until she came across the one she wanted. She nudged it over with her foot and grabbed the tome that had fallen under it, pleased when she found that it was elfire.

Making her way back, she ushered Kyanos out of the way and opened the book as she faced Ilyas's body. She uttered a prayer under her breath.

It was something of a Plegian custom to burn their dead—especially in the more sandy regions where burials were inconvenient. She'd read before that doing such a thing was said to release the spirit, purifying it as it made its way to the afterlife. While she did not put any stock into such superstitions, she would honor Ilyas by using the old tradition. It was the least she could do, as she could not bury him.

When the spell was cast, she stepped back to watch the flame as it grew, consuming the form of her lifelong friend. He was the pegasus who had stayed with her mother through thick and thin; the only gift she had liked that she received from the Grimleal after completing her pegasus knight training. He was the one who helped them both escape from the cult and her father one night and had been there for them ever since. Eve rode on his back countless times, for fun and for safety, and confided in him truths that she would never tell anyone else.

He meant more to her than anything she could ever explain. She wondered vaguely if this was how Henry felt when his Wolfie died.

Head bowed, she gave another prayer for Ilyas before continuing on her way. With any luck, the fire would spread and destroy that sliver of forest, erasing the abominations still lying there with it, before dying. The rest would either be reclaimed by the desert sands or decay on their own under the Plegian sunlight.

Either way, they were not her problem any longer.

* * *

><p>Eve continued traveling straight through the border she'd observed earlier until she was on Ylissean soil. There was no trouble, no patrolling soldiers to stop her, which was a relief. All she wanted was a nice spot to put her mother and counterpart to rest, and then she would leave to… wherever. She had little idea of where. The destination had always been her mother's choice, based on whoever she needed to get in contact with more in her spy network.<p>

But Judith was dead now, so she could not make the choice, now could she?

Her steps slowed to a stop. Kyanos paused obediently behind her.

Eve looked over her shoulder to the pegasus, eyes roaming over the two women's bodies on his back. The sight of them made her feel as if she had been doused in cold water all over again. She whirled around as a desperate sob started to claw its way up her throat.

She had to be strong to prevent that dark future from happening. She had to be strong to keep Grima's consciousness at bay. She had to be strong to keep her promise to her mother to keep living no matter what.

But she did not feel strong.

No, what she felt was weak, tired, and all too alone. Where would she go now? What would she do? Her only guiding light was dead, dead, _dead_ and _she hadn't been there to save her_. She hadn't had the chance to tell her of the new development, that Grima was in her head or soul or what have you, and get advice on what to do.

She hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye.

Eve shoved her palm over her mouth to stifle the sob that ripped its way out, unbidden. Her vision blurred and she knew she was crying by the tears that burned their way down her face, but once they began falling she could not stop them. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep somewhere, for as long as it took the pain to dull and ebb away—

"Hey! You there!"

She froze.

"Traveler!" the voice continued. "With the black pegasus! May we have a moment of your time?"

Carefully, shakily, Eve scrubbed away the tears on her cheeks, sniffled, and rubbed her eyes some more for good measure. Though she knew she was far from ready, she took a deep breath and turned to face who had called her.

It was a strange trio that hailed her, but she supposed that she'd seen odder traveling groups before. This one consisted of two men and a young woman. One of the men was decked out in armor and rode a similarly armored horse, with brown hair and a rather stern face. The young lady, blonde and petite in a yellow dress, sat behind him. The last, leading the other two despite being on foot, was a man with rather distinct blue hair in odd blue raiment—had it not suited him so well, she would have wondered what he was thinking piecing such clothing together.

They were approaching quickly from down the road, granting her little time to think about just why the blue-haired man's appearance struck her so.

It was only when he neared that she saw his right arm, and the mark that it bore. Or should she say "brand"?

"Prince Chrom," she said, unable to raise her voice higher than a monotone drawl. She bowed slightly, though her head did not lower, keeping the three in sight. "How may I help you?"

* * *

><p>It had been Lissa's idea to approach the female soldier and her peculiar dark pegasus, having spotted them in her boredom riding behind Frederick. She pointed them out excitedly, noting she'd never seen a flying horse with that colored coat before, and urged her brother and their bodyguard to speak with her.<p>

Amused by her sudden energy boost, Chrom asked what Frederick thought, receiving a warning of caution as always, before going along with Lissa's pleas.

The tan silver-haired woman seemed to jolt at the sound of his voice before lifting her hand to her face. Chrom's eyebrows furrowed at the action, but he quickly wiped the expression from his face when she turned to them. He pulled on a polite smile as he approached.

"Prince Chrom," she said as he pulled to a stop before her. His earlier concern sprouted up at the sound of her voice. It sounded so… dead. She bowed, which he returned with a tip of his head. "How may I help you?"

"Ah…" Chrom's eyes drifted from her to the horse behind her, resting briefly on the strange, covered cargo on its back before returning to her. "My sister, Lissa—" he gestured behind him, watching as she followed the line of his arm impassively, "—was curious about your mount. It's not often that we see a dark flier, even amongst Ylisse's pegasus knights."

"I see," the woman replied softly. She seemed to smile, a tiny pull of her lips on either side, but it was rather weak and halfhearted. "I… would offer for her highness to meet with him, but it would not be…" her voice faltered as she looked back. Chrom could see her eyes stay on the blanketed shapes on the pegasus's back and felt his unease spike. "That is, I must bury them… It would not be just for the young princess to approach beforehand."

Chrom could almost see Frederick straighten up behind him in alarm. "'Bury them'?" the knight repeated, voice dripping with suspicion. "Bury _who_, pray tell?"

It was because Chrom was standing right in front of her that he saw the unadulterated grief that filled her eyes. It was disquieting to see how hard she tried to keep it from her face, reducing her sorrow to a mere quivering of her lips as she tried to answer. He was just about to move forward, to tell her that it was all right if she wanted to keep her secrets to herself, when she replied, in a tone and volume that just about broke his heart, "My family…"

* * *

><p>It was not entirely a lie, Eve reasoned to herself as she avoided Prince Chrom's gaze. After all, one was her mother and the other was herself, albeit from the future. They were, in all technicality, family.<p>

Silence reigned between her and the traveling Ylissean royalty, making her curse herself in her mind for allowing herself to be so distracted. If she had just gotten to a private spot to bury them earlier, she could have mourned in peace afterwards and avoided such a tense situation. Moreover, she cursed her inability to keep a cool head as the urge to cry rose up again, even in front of these strangers. They did not need to see her pain.

"I'm… I'm sorry," said the prince, drawing her out of her bitter thoughts. She turned and blinked at him, partly out of surprise and partly to clear her vision of the traitorous tears. He shifted awkwardly. "For your loss, I mean."

Confusion bloomed in response to his words. Eve welcomed it, as it distracted her from her sadness. "Why?" she asked. "You had nothing to do with their deaths. There is nothing for you to apologize for."

"But still…!" He appeared rather thrown by her logic, looking back to his companions only to find no help there. His knight was still looking at her with narrowed eyes, oblivious to his master's plight. Meanwhile, his sister looked ready to cry for her sake. Curious. "A-Anyway, is there anything that we can do?"

Eve frowned. "What?"

"To help," Chrom said, as if it were normal for royalty to lend a hand to a random traveler on the road with the dead bodies of their family members. "You… seem a bit lost."

"Milord," the knight spoke up then, body still pulled straight and taut like a bow string. "I do not believe it would be wise to—"

"Oh, come now, Frederick!" the prince protested before he could finish. "I know it's in your nature to be so wary, but it won't kill us to lend a helping hand to someone who so clearly needs it!"

"Perhaps," Frederick conceded, "however, we do not know the circumstances behind her… family's deaths. It would be more prudent for us to acquire such information." He finished this by looking pointedly at Eve, who returned his gaze with a carefully blank expression.

The Ylissean prince looked frustrated, but otherwise unable to argue the knight's sensible words.

Eve shifted. "If it pleases you, milord…" she began, waiting until she had their attention again. "…then I would appreciate it if you could direct me to a reasonably peaceful or otherwise secluded spot so that I may…" She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "S-so that I may bury them without interruption. I do not wish to leave them like this for longer than I have to. If you could do that, I will gladly answer any questions you may have."

* * *

><p>There was something of a relief that the woman agreed so easily to being interrogated—because that was what Chrom was certain Frederick had in mind to do—for so little a price. Of course, that did not mean he was happy at having to interrogate her in the first place. As nonchalant as she appeared, he had seen how affected she was just trying to speak about her family's deaths and burying their bodies. It did not feel right to have to question her about what happened when the wound was so raw.<p>

But Frederick knew what he was doing. Years of experience would do that for you, and the Ylissean knight took his job very seriously. Especially when it came to the welfare of his two charges.

"…I'm sure we can find someplace suitable," Chrom said finally, with a defeated smile. He mentally cringed at his words. Suitable. As if he were talking about a place to live than a final resting place.

The woman did not seem to mind his lack of eloquence, however, nodding absently as she tugged at her pegasus's reins. The dark beast wandered closer to her, intelligent eyes peering over their group with, what Chrom felt was, detached curiosity. When it was finished, it snorted and turned away, seemingly dismissing them.

Before the silence could get any more awkward, Chrom strode away, gesturing for them to follow. "Let's, uh, see what we can find first. We'll talk more when we get there."

* * *

><p>The entire way, Eve felt Frederick's gaze burning the back of her head as if daring her to try to attack them. She steadfastly ignored the looks, focusing solely on following the Ylissean prince as he led them along the road and into a nearby wood. She took extra care not to peer around at her surroundings lest she give them something more to be suspicious of, such as assassins waiting in the trees or some other ambush that did not exist.<p>

Eventually, they came to a stop in a small glade. Just as she'd asked, it was far enough in to provide an ample amount of privacy for the soon-to-be graves, and quiet enough to be a peaceful resting place for her mother and the future Eve.

When the prince turned back, silently questioning if it was an adequate spot, she nodded and thanked him quietly. She led Kyanos further into the glade and stationed him to the side before pulling out her elwind tome. Behind her, she heard the prince back away as his two companions dismounted from their horse—their curiosity clear in the whispered conversation the royal siblings had behind her back.

Forcing herself to ignore them, Eve breathed in to focus her mind despite her exhaustion. Then, flipping the magic tome open, she directed the magic energy to the ground and began to hack away at the earth. It was not a perfect job, but since she did not have any other digging tools it was the best she could do at such short notice.

She kept at the work until the grave was deep enough for one body before moving back to begin digging the other. The prince and princess seemed to be exchanging quiet words now as they watched, but she paid them little attention as she continued her task. Sweat dripped down her face by the time she finished with the second grave, and her breath was slightly labored, but she was glad to have it done. The sooner she got her mother and counterpart in, the sooner she could answer the trio's questions. And the sooner she finished with that, the sooner she and Kyanos could continue on their way.

Eve rounded the two graves to Kyanos, gingerly reaching up to pull one body off of his back. She was partly done when another pair of arms reached in beside her to aid her.

"Sorry," Chrom said, though he did not stop helping her pull her counterpart's body from Kyanos's back. "You're shaking, so I…"

So she was. She'd hardly noticed.

Nodding, Eve said nothing as they both carried the body to the first grave. She was somewhat relieved she'd gotten the future Eve first, as there were no discernible (i.e. gruesome) wounds for them and the Princess Lissa to see. Though it was their choice to stick around for the grim business, she would have hated to taint the young woman's eyes with the wounds that littered Judith's body first.

Carefully, she and Chrom pushed the dirt back over until the grave was filled—a noticeable mound against the otherwise even earth. Eve sighed as she smoothed her hand over the dirt.

"…Are you ready?" Chrom asked quietly after a long moment. Eve glanced up to see his blue eyes full of sympathy. No doubt he saw the uncanny similarity between her and the body buried and thought them to be sisters. Twins, even, if he did not look closely enough to see the age differences in the lines of her counterpart's face.

She took another deep breath to calm her nerves before nodding. She hesitated, however, when Chrom stood up, ready to aid her with the other body.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately, concerned when she did not follow him.

"The other… My mother's wounds…" Eve began before glancing at the blonde standing some several feet away with Frederick. "They'd be disturbing to see."

"Ah," was the prince's intelligent response. He paused as well, seeming lost as to what to do.

When it did not seem that he would arrive at an answer anytime soon, Eve sighed quietly. Straightening, she said, "If it would be all right, the graves… I would like to acquire flowers for them. Princess Lissa could go to gather them while we bury her, with Sir Frederick as her escort."

Frederick drew up to his full height in the corner of her eyes, hands clasped firmly behind his back despite his armor. "And leave you with His Highness, alone? I think not."

"Then Prince Chrom may accompany Princess Lissa instead," Eve amended, voice calm. She turned her head slightly to address the knight from where she sat, hands clenched on her lap. "Sir Frederick, I understand that you are suspicious of me, but I do not wish to start anything. I only wish to bury my family in peace, but not at the expense of exposing the princess to sights that she should not have to see if I can help it."

A tense silence filled the glade, interrupted only by the sound of the wind rushing through the canopy above.

Eventually, Chrom cleared his throat. "Just go with Lissa, Frederick." When the knight made a move to protest, the prince only smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself." He chuckled, though it sounded strained. "Besides, the sooner you both go, the sooner you can come back."

Again, Eve found herself subjected to a not-glare full of suspicion. She bore it patiently, if tiredly, as Frederick heeded his master's words and ushered the princess through the trees. She sighed when the blue of his armor disappeared in the foliage.

"He means well," Chrom told her quietly when she finally stood. His subtle apology.

"The royal family is lucky to have someone so dedicated watching their backs," Eve said in return. Her quiet forgiveness.

The prince smiled, truly this time. Had she the mind for such things, she would have called it charming. "We certainly are."

Together, they eased her mother's body off of Kyanos as well, taking care to keep it covered so that their hands were not contaminated by her blood. It was only when they set her down on the ground next to her grave that Eve gently removed the cloth.

There was a sharp intake of breath from the prince. She looked up to gauge his reaction and found him staring hard at the open gashes and broken armor. "What… How did this happen?"

Eve motioned for him to help her settle her mother in the grave, arranging the answer in her mind as he did so. When Judith's body was lying still in the earth, she said, "The first thing you should probably know, milord, is that my family and I hail from Plegia." Chrom's head snapped up, abruptly pulled away from his scrutiny of her mother's wounds by her admission. "You could say that we are—_were_—fugitives. We've been on the run since I was very young, and have not stopped running all these years."

"Running from what, exactly?" he asked, wary.

A wry half-smile found its way to her face. "I trust you've heard of the Grimleal?"

It was not a surprise that he nodded.

"For the most part, the Grimleal is seen as simply a religion in Plegia," Eve explained, feeling herself calm as she took her mind off of Grima's attack temporarily. "It is similar to how Naga is worshipped as a god in Ylisse. However, there is a… deeper part of the group that is much more sinister in nature. My mother and sister as well as myself… we were born into this inner circle. And at my birth, my mother decided that she did not want me and my sister to be the pawns that the Grimleal wished us to be. So we ran." She tilted her head up as the faraway memories washed over her. "The Grimleal were very displeased to say the least. They searched and hunted for us at every corner."

"…And then they finally caught up with you," Chrom concluded, eyes drifting back to her mother's still body.

Bitter, Eve closed her eyes. "Correct. We do not know how, as my mother had been keeping tabs on the Grimleal's actions for years now, but they acquired a vicious and talented hunter that managed to track us down and catch us in less than a few hours. We had little choice but to fight back. Eventually, he managed to separate me and my sister from our mother, calling reinforcements to keep her occupied while he dealt with us."

Lies and lying still by omission, but what else could she do? Any mention of the mental battle with Grima and the fight against the undead without proof would label her as insane, she was sure. "The encounter ended with my sister dead. She used up too much of her energy in an undirected magic attack and died of exhaustion, but not before taking the hunter out with her. I brought her body and searched for my mother only to find her in this state." She took a moment to catch her breath, the numb feeling settling over her again at her cold report. Before she could stop herself, she whispered, "I lost them both. I wasn't strong enough, so I lost them both…"

Something bright moved in beside her and Eve jumped, startled to realize that it was the princess. The young woman sat beside her, mindful of her dress against the dirt floor, a handful of flowers clutched in her hands.

Eve raised her arms to cover her eyes. "Milady, please don't—"

Lissa stopped her, sending her a shaky smile. "It's all right. I'm stronger than I look! S-So…" Her head bowed and she fidgeted under Eve's gaze. "So don't worry about something like that, okay?"

Slowly, Eve let her arms fall. Something told her that the princess was not talking about shielding her eyes. A tiny tendril of warmth pierced through her frozen heart at the implication. It wasn't much, but… "Forgive me… and thank you."

After one last, long look at her mother, Eve made a quiet decision and shrugged off her coat. It had been a gift from her mother one year, as well as an additional camouflage for her while traveling in Plegia for its symbols of Grima. A seamstress had been quite taken with Eve and her latent magical abilities (she suspected it was the dark side of it that so attracted her) and offered to have it made for her. Though Eve refused, her mother jumped easily on the deal and presented it to her with great pleasure. To return it now would be her apology for not being able to bury her mother in better condition, with her wounds still open and armor dull and ruined, as well as her vow to not run away again.

After carefully placing the coat over her mother's body, Eve set about to filling the grave with Chrom and Lissa's help, the silence far more comfortable this time than the last. When her mother was properly covered, she arranged the flowers Lissa collected on top of the graves into arcane letters. When the princess asked what the words meant, she quietly explained, glad to have something to distract her mind and hands with, that they were symbols for valor and justice.

In the end, as Eve sat to give her mother and future counterpart a final prayer, Chrom asked, "If you are Plegian, then why choose to bury them here, in Ylisse? I understand that the Grimleal has caused your family grief, but the relationship between our lands is not the most peaceful either."

"My family has not considered itself fully Plegian in a long while, Prince Chrom," Eve replied. "We've wandered through much of Plegia and Ylisse and Regna Ferox combined, and have lived in each for a time, however short. Plegia may be our birthplace, but it is not our home." Prayer done, she finally stood, dusting herself off as she rose. "Besides, as you said, the Grimleal is the ultimate source of our grief. To be buried here, in the heart of Ylisse, would grant them the best chance at peace."

"I see…" From his tone of voice, she wondered if he did.

Regardless, with her familial duty finished, Eve decided there was little to do than begin traveling again and letting her wounds heal with time. Beckoning Kyanos over, Eve bowed in gratitude to the trio. "If there is nothing further you would like to know, I will take my leave now."

She had a lot to think about, and she had the feeling that Frederick would like nothing more than to have her out of their hair.

There was no reply, just a nod of acknowledgement from Chrom and a sad look from Lissa. Taking that as her dismissal, Eve turned and made her way out of the woods, Kyanos shadowing her every step.

She was just about to step out onto the road when the prince's voice called for her to wait. She did, prepared for more questions.

What she got was, "Come with us to Ylisstol!"

There were no words she could think to reply with, so she settled for staring at him. What did he think he was doing?

"You've nowhere to go, right?" Well, wasn't he blunt? "And I doubt you'll be returning to Plegia any time soon after that attack. So come with us! You look to be an able soldier, if you can wield those lances even half as well as you can cast magic. The Shepherds would love to have you."

Ah, yes. Chrom's notorious Shepherds. They had a worthy reputation as fighters in many places. She had a feeling that even without her mother's information network, she would have heard of them some time or another.

"You would let me, a Plegian, into your brood?" she asked with no little skepticism.

"Well, you said it yourself that you don't really consider yourself a Plegian, so why not? It'd be better than having to continue wandering all the time, I'm sure."

True, but Eve was not so much concerned with her own words than the words of others. The moment that the Ylissean court found out about her origins, there would be controversy concerning spies and moles and assassins and everything else the politicians could dream of.

"Look, you don't have to stay if you don't want to," Chrom said, apparently sensing her trepidation. "We won't keep you if you feel that you would rather leave instead. But at least come with us and see. Who knows? Maybe you'll find a place to belong with us; maybe you won't. Either way, it wouldn't be a bad thing just to give it a try, would it?"

Briefly, Eve wondered why he was so insistent and why his knight wasn't voicing any objections. A small side-glance told her that he was certainly present, watching the exchange with a furrowed brow, but his lips remained sealed.

Still…

"'A place to belong', was it?" she mused, staring down the road before returning to Chrom's earnest expression. With something like resignation settling itself in her chest, she shrugged. "Sounds nice."

Chrom gave a sigh of relief as Lissa cheered behind him. Frederick's sigh was deeper than the prince's, and foretold of many headaches to come. Whether for Eve or for himself was uncertain, though she had a mild suspicion that it would be both.

Regardless, as they began to lead the way, filling the air with chatter about Ylisstol and how she would love it there, Eve turned his words over in her head. A place to belong. She'd had that with her mother, no matter where they went, but her mother was gone now.

A deep pang flashed through her heart and she stopped, turning back to look at the forest.

_Mother, Reverie, I'm leaving now._

"Is something wrong?" Chrom called from where he and the other two had stopped ahead.

Eyes still glued to the forest, pricking with tears that had yet to fall, she said, "Eve."

"Pardon?"

Finally turning back around, Eve smiled. "I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Eve."

There was a small pause of surprise, but it quickly faded when Chrom laughed, followed by Lissa's giggles. Frederick only sighed once more. "I guess we never stopped to ask, huh? How funny!"

Eve only shook her head and started walking again, catching up easily and falling into a steady pace with them beside Frederick's horse.

_Please, be at peace… and watch over me from time to time._


	9. Emmeryn

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Fire Emblem Awakening_ nor any of the canon characters from there. As for any original characters that may show up, any resemblance they may have to others is highly likely coincidental. If not and they happen to reference some other character or fandom on purpose or by accident, I don't own that either! (Also don't own the summary quote, which is from _InuYasha_.)

**Other Notes**: This story is also being posted to my _Fire Emblem_ tumblr, **high-deliverer-eve**. If you see it being posted anywhere else, it isn't me!

Not completely happy with how this chapter turned out (kind of lost steam partway through), but I didn't want to drag it on when what I wanted to convey most was already down. The next chapter is already being worked on, though, as a result of writing it midway and then deciding it would be best separated._**  
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><p><em><strong>The Wings of Goodbye<strong>_

**Chapter Nine  
><strong>

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><p>It was right at nightfall when they arrived in Ylisstol, tired and eager to get to the palace.<p>

Along the way, Eve learned that the trio had been heading out to patrol the countryside when they found her, having left just that morning. Frederick in particular grumbled about her presence disrupting their plans as they walked back to Ylisstol, much to Chrom's consternation. When Eve told them that they could continue with their plans, Chrom assured her that he would just send word out for one of Phila's, the captain of Ylisse's pegasus knight brigade, squads to take over.

"It's technically their job, anyway," Lissa told Eve in a stage whisper after Chrom finished his explanation. It was easy for her to do so without catching his attention given that both women were currently riding Kyanos. Lissa had refused at first when she heard of his injured wing, but Eve reassured her that it was mostly a superficial wound that would heal in short time with rest. The princess had been relieved at that, claiming that it would be a shame for such a pretty pegasus to not be able to fly again, much to Eve's amusement. "Chrom just likes seeing things for himself… and getting away from the stuffy advisors in the palace from time to time."

The streets were mostly deserted by the time they crossed them, but there were a few straggling clusters of people and individuals who greeted the prince and princess warmly with a respectful nod to their knightly guard. They almost always paused when they noticed Eve, however, sending her many a curious glance even as their small group moved away. Chrom told her not to mind it; Eve wondered if the siblings were always quick to try to alleviate others' discomfort or if it was simply a special type of pity she garnered.

Eventually, with little else to see in the darkness of night, they arrived at the palace and ushered themselves in. A messenger was sent ahead of them as they entered to alert the Exalt of Chrom and Lissa's return. Frederick excused himself briefly to see his horse attended to, stopping and adding that he would call someone in to see to Kyanos's wing as well. Eve thanked him, earning a small glance in return and a friendly reminder to behave herself in the presence of the Ylissean royalty.

"He means well," Chrom echoed his earlier words with a wry grin.

Eve sighed and shook her head while Lissa giggled beside her.

They did not wait long for the messenger to return, bearing news that the Exalt was finishing up a meeting with the royal council. Chrom and Lissa shared a look at that, the latter asking what their older sister could be in a meeting about at night. Chrom replied that he did not know, hushing her as they made their way through the halls. With nothing else to do and little else to go, Eve followed them, forcing herself to ignore their whispered voices.

Eventually, they came to a stop before two large doorways. The two siblings waited outside them. Eve stood awkwardly to the side, feeling wholly out of place.

After what felt like an eternity, the doors opened to release a group of mostly men ranging from middle-aged to somewhat elderly, though there were a few women amongst them. Chrom and Lissa nodded respectfully to them as they passed, looking beyond them for the one they were waiting for.

When the Exalt came striding out, graceful and poised and yet so very natural, Eve reflexively straightened. It had been one thing to hear of the relatively young leader of the halidom; to actually be in her presence felt like something else entirely. Just a single glance told the Grima avatar that she was not one of empty words or promises—she preached peace and lived it, practically _exuding_ it even when standing still.

"Hi, Emm!" Lissa greeted her cheerfully, stepping forward to hug the older woman once she came into range.

"Sister," Chrom's greeting was much more subdued, but the warmth in his voice was easily picked out as he nodded to her.

Emmeryn smiled, arms wrapping gently around Lissa to return her embrace before letting go. When Lissa stepped back, she said, "Good evening, Chrom, Lissa. We weren't expecting you back so soon—did you encounter any trouble?"

"Not trouble," Chrom said, looking over his shoulder to Eve, "just a potential new Shepherd."

If possible, Eve felt herself stiffen more as Emmeryn looked in her direction. It was not the Exalt's gaze that made her freeze so, but rather the eyes of the one straggling advisor behind her. The moment they settled on her, she could see the way his eyes narrowed in suspicion. It was so very like Frederick's gaze, but at the same time, unlike his. For while Frederick had seen a threat in her to the safety of his charges, he looked upon her with less scrupulous intentions.

Eve knew this because she'd seen that same look in the eyes of her fellow Plegians. The ones who gave in to the stereotypes that foreigners placed upon them to be just as terrible as the rumors made them out to be.

She had to force herself not to glare back at him in response.

"Hm?" Emmeryn hummed. Unlike her advisors, she appeared to be unburdened by suspicion and looked at Eve with plain curiosity. "Who is this, then?"

"This is Eve!" Lissa stepped in to take over the introductions. "She's a traveler! We met her along the way to the southern village. She's a pegasus knight!"

"Of a sort," Chrom added. "When we spoke to her, she told us that she was a wanderer and didn't have anywhere in particular to go."

"And so you invited her to join the Shepherds," Emmeryn concluded with a warm and knowing smile.

Chrom chuckled, expression sheepish. "Predictable, I know."

The three royal siblings turned when the advisor sniffed, skeptical as he looked over Eve. "Your Highness, as generous as that is, there surely must be a limit as to who you allow into your little band of vigilantes? It is one thing, after all, to include one such as the Lady Maribelle. It is another thing entirely to pick someone up off the roadside."

Eve frowned minutely. The tone of his voice made it sound as though she were a pet smuggled in by a mischievous child than a person.

This did not seem to escape the siblings' ears either.

"Hey!" Lissa cried, indignant. "It's not like Chrom didn't think about it and just dragged her here! We even spoke about it with Frederick and he agreed that we should at least ask her to come! And Eve accepted even though she could've just walked away!"

"Sir Frederick has his reasons, I suppose," the advisor's voice failed to gain any sympathy at the princess's words. If anything, he appeared even more doubtful. "But as prince and princess of Ylisse, you both should have thought more on this decision—better yet, you should have brought this matter to us before even approaching her."

"Eve would've left by then, though!" Lissa protested.

Chrom held out an arm to stop her unconscious advancement upon the advisor. "I understand the reasons behind your concern, councilor, but the Shepherds are ultimately a group that I formed with Lissa and Frederick's help. We take only volunteers for the cause and I only recruit anyone that I believe to be a trustworthy ally."

"And you believe this… 'Eve' to be trustworthy? Even though you've not known her for more than a few hours?"

The prince did not even hesitate. "Yes."

The older man balked. "Forgive me for the insult, but are you _mad_, Your Highness? How could she have possibly earned your trust in what little time you must have had to interact? Did you happen upon a bandit group and she saved you all single-handedly? Do you even know where she is _from_?"

Chrom did pause at that. However, before Eve could even think to intervene or suggest he not reveal it, he said, "Yes, I do. She is from Plegia."

In the short space of time before the inevitable explosion, Eve had the pleasure of seeing the Exalt blink in honest surprise and watching a person's face turn pale and then several shades of red before settling at an almost purple color.

"P-P-_Plegia_!? And you thought it wise to bring her _here_, straight to the Exalt!? Prince Chrom, you must send her away at once before she has the chance to send for—"

"I wasn't finished," Chrom intoned, voice firm.

The advisor's mouth dutifully shut in the face of the absolute authority.

With a small sigh, Chrom continued, "It's true that Eve is from Plegia. But, as she told us directly, Plegia is not her home. She doesn't answer to anyone there and hasn't for her entire life more or less." There was another brief pause before he added, "And Plegia's latest act in her life was to kill her only family, forcing her to flee across their borders and into our lands."

"T-That could simply be a tall tale told to receive your sympathies," the advisor croaked. "Without proof—"

"It's true," Lissa said resolutely. Eve did not have to look at the princess's face to know that she was sporting the same sad look she'd had on when Eve tried to walk away before. "And we know it's true because we saw the 'proof'."

Empathetic as the rumors placed her to be, Emmeryn moved closer to her sister, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Lissa?"

The younger blonde looked up imploringly at her sister. "Emm, what Chrom said—what Eve said—is true. Especially about Plegia killing her family. We… We found her and helped her bury their bodies."

At that, Emmeryn looked up again to look at Eve, who stared back in return. Then, ignoring her stuttering advisor, the Exalt gently brushed past Lissa to stand before her. "Good evening."

The Exalt's voice was so very gentle that Eve could not help but reply in kind, "Good evening, Your Grace."

"I am sorry for your loss," Emmeryn said. Unable to think of a proper response, Eve nodded in acceptance. "I hope that you may find comfort in Ylisse, for however long you stay here." The queen smiled, full of understanding and reassurance. "For what it is worth, you are welcome here."

Eve was struck by the memory of her mother's smile and had to forcibly steel herself to not start crying in front of the Exalt. She nodded shortly, lowering her head when she felt her eyes begin to water.

Emmeryn must have seen—it would have been hard not to notice at such a close distance—but respectfully said nothing as she walked back along her former route, before she had been stopped by her siblings. "It must have been a long and tiring day for you all, then. Lissa, go along and show Eve to a room so you both may rest. Chrom…"

The blue-haired prince straightened. "Ah, I need to send a message to one of the pegasus knight units to take up the route we were going to be on."

"Very well." Emmeryn nodded. She somehow made the simple action look more elegant and regal than if she had given a formal bow. "Shall I call Phila?"

"Please. Also, Frederick would probably like to update you on a few things as well."

The Exalt chuckled. "I'm certain he would. I'll have someone send for him in the meantime, then."

With both of her older siblings taking care of business, Lissa turned and led Eve away. They did not get very far down the hall before Chrom stopped them, calling their names. They waited as he approached, jogging slightly to catch up to where they were down the corridor.

"Eve, I… I apologize for telling them all of that. About your family, I mean. That wasn't in my rights to speak about and—"

"It's all right," Eve replied. "You did what you had to."

"But…"

Eve shook her head. "He would not have stopped if you hadn't gone to such extremes. It was either that or my leaving. For you to have said all that was expected and I do not blame you for it." It was a bit uncomfortable, certainly, but she found that she preferred the idea of potentially joining the Shepherds with as little secrets between them as possible.

(Her dilemma with Grima was exempt from that rule, of course. After all, there were some things that would cause problems and some things that would cause _problems_. The presence of Grima was, without question, the latter.)

The prince still looked unsure, but gave up with a nod. "All right. Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight."

"G'night, Chrom!" Lissa called as he walked away. "That dummy. He always acts first and thinks later. It's only when Frederick has the chance to tell him to slow down that he actually takes the time to think things through!"

"But only a short time," Eve guessed.

"_Exactly_." Lissa shook her head, exasperated. "Anyways, here, let's go show you to a room. Normally we have a place more set up for when we get a new recruit in the Shepherds' barracks, but you were kind of a surprise so we only have plain rooms available…"

"I would be surprised if you somehow foresaw my arrival," Eve said blandly as they walked down the hall. "And perhaps a bit unnerved."

Lissa laughed. "So that's your way of saying that it's okay, then?"

"It's fine, milady."

"Ugh, stop with the 'milady' stuff! No 'Princess this' or 'my lady that'! I'm just Lissa, okay?"

Eve felt her lips quirk in spite of herself. "Very well, Lissa."

* * *

><p>The remainder of the journey to the room Eve would use for the night was spent in silence, which Eve found was somewhat surprising. The young woman walking slightly ahead of her did not seem the type to appreciate silence, as her bright personality seemed consistent with one who enjoyed filling the air with constant chatter. She supposed she should not assume, especially considering their unique circumstances. After the day Eve accidentally imposed upon their little traveling group, there was much to be thought about and analyzed.<p>

Eventually, they stopped in what Lissa explained was the eastern wing of the palace, in the same hall as the siblings as well as the rooms of other established or otherwise honored guests and friends. She opened one door and apologized again for the "plainness" of the room.

Eve could only thank the princess once more, politely refraining from commenting that the room was extravagant enough in its supposed simplicity. It made her slightly ill to think about sleeping in the bed the room housed, too used to sleeping beneath the stars.

Studiously ignoring the room, Eve considered the day's events and called softly out her door at the retreating princess's back. "Lissa."

"Hm?" The blonde turned, expression inquisitive.

"If I may ask… In the conversation with the councilor, why did you defend me?" The prince she could understand. Reserved and cool-headed as he looked, there was a certain air of bullheadedness that surrounded him. The type that drove one forward without fail in order to accomplish something they believe in. Eve had seen such qualities many times in the various Grimleal that chased after her and her mother in her younger years.

The princess's firm confirmation of Chrom's (and therefore Eve's) words, however, had been something of a surprise. While Eve did not doubt the girl's natural friendliness and sunny disposition, she had not expected her to step forward in her defense.

"Aha… oh, that?" Lissa asked, sheepish as she scratched the back of her head. She made several steps back to Eve's door before standing anxiously, hands clasped behind her back. "Well… I just thought it was pretty mean of him to say those things, you know? I mean, I know as well as anyone does about the disputes between our kingdom and yours—your homeland's, I mean. But…" Here, she started to rock back and forth on her feet, looking to the side as she searched for her words. "You lost your family. I just thought about how I would feel if I… if I lost Chrom and Emm. You didn't deserve to be put through that."

Eve considered the young woman quietly. Then, deciding to be as honest as she was, said, "You should take care, believing me, trusting me, so easily. What if the councilor were right and I was simply waiting for a chance to kill you or your siblings? Like right now, when no one else is around to see?"

Lissa's expression faltered, just the slightest bit, and Eve felt an illogical surge of approval. She may have trusted her, but she knew when to be smart, too. "Maybe you would have been," she admitted slowly. "But I don't think you could."

Tilting her head, Eve contemplated her word choice. "…Couldn't I?"

The princess smiled then, shaking her head. "Nope! You're too… genuine to be a spy or assassin or anything else the councilor tried to make you out to be. You might look cold, but it's in the little things that you do. Like when you tried to shield my eyes from seeing your mother's body. Or let me ride your pegasus when you could've refused, especially since his wing is hurt."

Her words were so surprisingly insightful that Eve found herself unable to respond.

Pleased with herself and her words, Lissa gave a small bow before turning back around and leaving.

Perplexed and suddenly very tired, Eve retreated to her own room, shut the door, and fell upon the bed. She was out within moments.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Eve woke up sometime after dawn. It was later than her usual time of awakening, but she supposed it was expected. Still, she found herself at a loss at what to do when she sat up from the bed, staring out the large windows overlooking the city of Ylisstol. She had little idea where anything was and, more importantly, felt extremely out of place surrounded by the palace walls.<p>

Sighing, she decided to at least try to make herself look presentable. Careful examination of the room led to her discovery of a connected washroom, which she used to her advantage. She was still dressed in her flying uniform, however, and would likely have to continue wearing that until she managed to get ahold of her supplies from the packs on Kyanos's saddle. Once she was as prepared to face the day as she could be, she remade the bed from where she rumpled it in her sleep, pulling the sheets straight and fluffing the pillows until it was nigh indiscernible that she had even slept there.

Late morning found her sitting at the small table set up in the room, contemplating her choice in coming to the Ylissean capitol, when a knock sounded at her door. She gave permission to the one standing behind it to enter, standing attentively as she did so.

Lissa stepped into the room, bright and sunny after a night's rest. She seemed prepared to greet Eve when she stopped short, blinking confusedly at the made bed. Then, incredulous, she turned to Eve and asked, "Did you even sleep last night?"

"I had adequate rest, Your Highne—Lissa," Eve corrected herself, recalling the princess's mandate the previous night. "Thank you for asking."

The blonde looked doubtfully at the immaculate bedding before shrugging it off. "Well, okay… I came to get you to show you to the Shepherd's garrison. We would've gone there since that's where pretty much all of the Shepherds stay when they're not taking time off to go home or whatever, but it's a bit of a walk away so we couldn't last night," she explained as Eve joined her in walking once more. "Frederick and Chrom will join us later. They still have a few things to report and go over with Emm."

"The captain and lieutenant are busy people," Eve commented.

Lissa hummed in agreement. "Got that right. But they do a good job."

And, thinking back to the numerous rumors and tales spreading throughout the continent, Eve could concur.


End file.
